REJECTED BY MY ALPHA,CLAIMED BY THE ALPHA KING

The Luna Who Replaced Me

Chapter 2:

The forest went silent after the Alpha King's howl.

Then the pack began whispering again.

Only this time, no one was laughing.

I remained on my knees beneath the moon tree, one hand pressed against the strange mark burning beneath my collarbone.

The golden eyes between the trees had disappeared.

But I could still feel them.

Watching.

Waiting.

He found us.

Vespera's voice echoed through my mind.

I swallowed.

"Who?"

She didn't answer.

For the first time in years, I could feel her presence clearly.

Not weak.

Not distant.

She was there.

Awake.

And terrified.

Before I could question her again, footsteps approached.

I looked up.

Theron stood before me.

For one foolish second, hope rose in my chest.

Maybe he'd changed his mind.

Maybe the rejection had been some horrible mistake.

Maybe—

"Get up."

The hope died.

His voice was cold.

I pushed myself to my feet.

"Theron..."

"Don't."

His eyes hardened.

"Don't make this harder than it already is."

I stared at him.

"You just rejected me."

"I know."

"In front of everyone."

"I know."

"And you're telling me not to make it harder?"

His jaw clenched.

Behind him, Isolde stepped closer.

She rested one hand possessively on his arm.

The gesture was small.

But deliberate.

My stomach twisted.

"You're still wearing the Luna necklace," she said.

I looked down.

The silver crescent around my neck suddenly felt like a chain.

Theron followed her gaze.

"Take it off."

I couldn't move.

"What?"

"You heard me."

His voice carried across the clearing.

"Give Isolde the Luna necklace."

A few elders lowered their eyes.

No one defended me.

I slowly reached for the clasp.

My fingers shook so badly that I couldn't undo it.

Isolde watched me struggle.

Then she smiled.

"I can help."

"No."

The word came out sharper than I expected.

Her smile disappeared.

I finally managed to unclasp the necklace.

I held it in my palm.

This necklace had belonged to the Lunas of Moonridge for generations.

My mother had once told me that wearing it meant the entire pack had accepted me.

I looked at Theron.

"Do you really want this?"

His expression didn't change.

"Yes."

I placed it in his hand.

He turned and gave it to Isolde.

She lifted it to her neck.

The silver crescent settled against her skin.

The crowd erupted into cheers.

My chest tightened.

They were celebrating.

The same people who had watched me grow up.

The same people who had congratulated me this morning.

The same people who had called me Luna.

Now they were cheering for the woman who had taken my place.

I stepped backward.

A voice came from the crowd.

"At least our new Luna has a proper wolf."

Another laughed.

"Maybe the Moon Goddess finally corrected her mistake."

My fingers curled into fists.

I refused to cry.

Not here.

Not in front of them.

But then Isolde approached me.

She stopped close enough that only I could hear her.

"You should leave quietly."

I stared at her.

"Why?"

Her eyes glinted.

"Because staying will only remind everyone what they lost."

I almost laughed.

"You're afraid of me?"

She leaned closer.

"I'm afraid of nothing."

"Then why are you whispering?"

For the first time, her confidence cracked.

Only for a second.

Then she smiled again.

"Enjoy your last night in Moonridge, Lyra."

She walked away.

I watched her return to Theron's side.

The pack gathered around them.

The ceremony continued without me.

I stood alone.

A discarded Luna.

A rejected mate.

An embarrassment.

And yet...

Something inside me felt strangely calm.

Vespera was awake.

That should have frightened me.

Instead, it felt like the first breath I'd taken all night.

Lyra.

Her voice came again.

Don't trust the rejection.

I frowned.

"What does that mean?"

Silence.

"Vespera?"

Nothing.

I closed my eyes.

"Please."

Still nothing.

Then pain suddenly shot through my chest.

I gasped.

The mark beneath my collarbone burned again.

For a moment, the world disappeared.

I saw a woman standing beneath a blood-red moon.

She wore a crown.

Not a Luna's crown.

A queen's.

Her eyes were silver.

Behind her stood hundreds of wolves.

All kneeling.

Then the vision vanished.

I stumbled against the moon tree.

"What was that?"

No answer.

I looked toward the ceremony.

No one had noticed.

Except one person.

Theron.

His eyes were fixed on me.

For the first time that night, he looked afraid.

I touched the mark beneath my collarbone.

His face became even paler.

He started walking toward me.

"Lyra."

I stepped back.

"What?"

His gaze dropped to the mark.

"Cover that."

"Why?"

"Just cover it."

There was something in his voice.

Fear.

Real fear.

I pulled my dress higher over my collarbone.

"What do you know?"

"Nothing."

"You looked terrified."

"I said I know nothing."

He turned to leave.

"Theron."

He stopped.

I stared at his back.

"Did you know the rejection would happen before tonight?"

His shoulders stiffened.

That was answer enough.

My heart sank.

"You knew."

He slowly turned around.

"I was trying to protect the pack."

"From me?"

"From what might happen if I kept you as my Luna."

I stared at him.

"What does that mean?"

He opened his mouth.

Then stopped.

His eyes shifted toward the elders.

One of them gave him a warning look.

Theron looked back at me.

"I'm sorry."

"That's not an answer."

But he was already walking away.

I stood frozen.

There was something everyone knew.

Something they weren't telling me.

And somehow...

it was connected to my wolf.

A few minutes later, the ceremony ended.

Theron and Isolde disappeared into the Alpha's residence.

The pack slowly scattered.

No one came to comfort me.

No one asked if I was all right.

I walked home alone.

The path seemed longer than usual.

Every window I passed held a face.

Some stared with pity.

Others with amusement.

One little girl looked at me through the glass.

She had always called me Luna.

Tonight, her mother pulled her away.

I lowered my head.

When I reached my house, I stopped outside the door.

This had been my home since childhood.

But suddenly, it didn't feel like home anymore.

I entered quietly.

My mother's old photograph sat on the shelf.

I picked it up.

"Mom..."

My voice cracked.

"I don't know what happened."

I stared at her smile.

"Everyone says I'm weak."

My eyes filled with tears.

"But you always told me there was nothing wrong with me."

A breeze moved through the room.

The candle beside the photograph flickered.

Then went out.

Darkness swallowed the room.

I froze.

A low growl came from inside my mind.

We have to leave.

I wiped my tears.

"Leave?"

Before they come for us.

My blood turned cold.

"Who?"

Vespera didn't answer.

Instead, she whispered something that made my entire body go numb.

The people who made sure you were rejected.

I stared into the darkness.

The rejection hadn't been a decision.

It had been a plan.

And suddenly, I wasn't sure whether Theron had been the person who betrayed me...

or merely the person they had used.

Outside, something moved through the trees.

A twig snapped.

Then another.

I stepped toward the window.

A shadow stood beyond the glass.

Too tall.

Too still.

Watching my house.

I backed away.

The shadow disappeared.

Vespera growled.

Run, Lyra.

This time, I didn't question her.

I reached for the small bag beside my bed.

If someone had planned my rejection...

then staying in Moonridge might be exactly what they wanted.

And I had no intention of dying just because someone had decided I was supposed to be powerless.

Tomorrow, I would leave.

But before I could take another step—

three sharp knocks sounded against my front door.

Knock.

Knock.

Knock.

I stopped breathing.

Then a man's voice came from the other side.

"Lyra Vale."

My blood ran cold.

I knew that voice.

It belonged to one of Theron's most trusted warriors.

And he sounded terrified.

"Open the door."

I didn't move.

His voice dropped to a whisper.

"Before the Alpha finds out I'm here."

My hand tightened around the bag.

Vespera growled.

And for the first time, I understood that my rejection wasn't the most dangerous thing that had happened to me tonight.

Someone had come to warn me.

And someone else was already hunting me.

End of chapter 2.