Rejected Luna’s Vegas Redemption

### Chapter 2 (Amber’s POV)

Painful truth

I stood frozen in the bedroom doorway, my chest burning as the mate bond screamed. Archie and Vivian were tangled in the sheets, her blonde hair spilling across the pillow. A glowing rune on her wrist pulsed like moonlight, its eerie light searing my eyes. My wolf snarled, sensing something wrong—something not human. I forced my voice out, though it shook. “She’s not your cousin, is she, Archie?”

He sat up, his face cold as stone. “No.”

Tears stung my eyes. “You’ve been with her all this time. No wonder she hates me.” My voice broke, and I choked on a sob. “You’ve hurt me so much, Archie, but we can start over. I’ll forgive you. Just love me. Please.”

Archie’s eyes flashed with disgust. He didn’t need to speak—his look said I was pathetic, desperate. “You i***t,” he spat, climbing out of bed. “Your job was to be my Luna, to keep the pack happy, not to pry into my life.”

His words cut deep, like a knife twisting in my chest. “You’re hurting me,” I whispered, but he wasn’t done.

He scoffed. “I’ve tolerated you long enough. You’re nothing, Amber. An orphan. A nobody. Vivian would’ve been a better Luna. She’s everything you’re not.”

Vivian’s name stung worse than his insults. She was always there, a shadow over our marriage, her smirks and taunts tearing me apart. Archie never missed a chance to compare us, to remind me she was better, worthier. My shoulders slumped, my gaze dropping to the floor. I told myself I wouldn’t cry, that I wouldn’t give him the satisfaction. But my eyes burned, and my hands trembled.

Silence filled the room, heavy and suffocating. Then Archie grabbed my chin, forcing me to meet his gaze. His dark hair fell across his face, reminding me of its softness from the days when he’d smiled at me. “I want a divorce,” he said, his voice flat, no hint of regret.

My breath caught. “You can’t mean that. You’re not leaving me for her.” My voice shook, the mate bond aching like a wound.

“I’ve never been more serious,” he said, calm as steel. “Our marriage is over. I don’t want you.”

The pain exploded, like an arrow piercing my heart. “Archie, please,” I begged, tears spilling down my cheeks.

He stepped closer, his voice low and cruel. “I married you to become Alpha. That was the deal. I pitied you, an orphan with nowhere to go. But you’re not the woman I want. You’re weak, Amber. If I could’ve rejected you without losing my title, I would’ve.”

Hot tears streamed down my face, the mate bond burning in my chest. His words broke something inside me, but I couldn’t look away. Vivian slid out of bed, her rune still glowing faintly. A satisfied smile curled her lips, like she’d won a prize. “Leave, Amber,” she said, her voice sharp. “Archie’s done with you.”

My wolf growled, rage bubbling up. “This is your fault, Vivian!” I lunged, my hand cracking across her face. The slap echoed, her head snapping to the side.

Before I could move, Archie’s hand struck my cheek, hard. I stumbled, falling to the floor, my face stinging. Tears blurred my vision as I looked up at him. His eyes blazed with anger. “Stop acting desperate,” he said. “I’m tired of you. I, Alpha Archie Zach of the Whitestone Pack, reject you and break our mate bond.”

The bond snapped, a searing pain ripping through my chest. I screamed, clutching my heart, the world spinning. “No, Archie, don’t do this!” I sobbed, collapsing. “You’re ruining my life.”

He turned away, taking Vivian’s hand. “Leave before dawn,” he said without looking back. “Don’t show your face here again.”

Vivian’s smile widened, her rune pulsing brighter. My wolf whimpered, sensing a power I didn’t understand. They walked out, leaving me on the floor, my cheek throbbing, my heart shattered. The rejection weakened me, my wolf too hurt to stir. A rejected mate loses part of their strength as their connection to the pack is severed. I was packless now, vulnerable to rogues or worse.

I forced myself to stand, my legs shaky. The packhouse was quiet, the party’s music gone. I stumbled to my room, grabbing a small bag with clothes and a photo of my parents, the only family I’d ever known. My hands shook as I packed, Archie’s words echoing: You’re weak. A nobody. I’d loved him, served him, endured Vivian’s cruelty, all for nothing.

As I walked through the packhouse, pack members lined the halls, their eyes cold or pitying. Sam, the beta, stood near the door, his face tight. “I’m sorry, Amber,” he whispered, but he didn’t stop me. No one did. At the pack gate, two enforcers shoved me out, the heavy iron clanging shut behind me. Tears streamed down my face as I stood alone in the dark, the cold night air biting my skin.

I clutched my bag, my cheek still stinging from Archie’s slap. The road stretched ahead, empty and shadowed. Rogues prowled at night, hunting packless wolves like me. Without the pack’s bond, my strength was fading, my ability to shift gone. I prayed to the Moon Goddess for safety, the same courage that let me accept Archie’s rejection, though the pain still burned.

The wind whistled, and distant howls echoed. My heart raced, fear tightening my throat. I started walking, my steps quickening as the howls grew closer. The mate bond’s pain lingered, a dull ache, but I pushed forward, determined to survive. I’d lost everything, my mate, my home, but I wouldn’t let the night take me too.

A sharp pain stabbed my stomach, sudden and fierce. I gasped, clutching my side, my legs buckling. My hand brushed my leg, and I felt something wet. Lifting my fingers, I saw blood, its metallic scent sharp in the cold air. My eyes widened. I hadn’t been attacked, where was this coming from? The rune on Vivian’s wrist flashed in my mind, its glow unnatural. Has she done something to me?

My wolf whimpered, too weak to help. I staggered forward, the road blurring. A low growl rumbled behind me, and I spun around. A tall shadow loomed in the darkness, its eyes glowing red, like embers in the night. My heart pounded. A rogue? Or something worse? The rune’s glow haunted me, Vivian’s smile, her power. Was this her doing, a curse tied to that mark?

“Help!” I cried, my voice hoarse. I reached out with my mind, desperate to mindlink anyone, though I knew the pack had cut me off. “Please, someone!” The shadow moved closer, its growl shaking the earth. My vision swam, the blood loss draining my strength. I stumbled, falling to my knees, the cold ground biting my skin.

The shadow’s eyes locked on mine, and for a moment, I swore they flickered not with hunger, but with recognition. My breath hitched. Did I know this creature? The pain surged again, and I screamed, my body swaying. Darkness closed in, pulling me under as the shadow stepped forward, blurring into the night.