Moonbound- The Luna's Return

Chapter 2: The Rejection

The Mating Ball was beautiful. The venue was decorated with white flowers and silver lights. The music was soft and romantic. Everything was perfect. Everything was a lie.

Luna moved through the crowd like a ghost, still holding Massimo's arm. She could feel his attention wasn't on her anymore. His eyes kept drifting toward the woman in white. The woman who was his fated mate.

The woman he was supposed to reject their bond for.

Luna had always known this was possible. When two werewolves found their fated mate, love was supposed to happen automatically. The Moon Goddess had chosen them for each other. No agreement or promise mattered against that kind of power.

But knowing something could happen and watching it actually happen were two different things.

"Smile more," Massimo said quietly, his voice making her look up at him. His jaw was tight, his eyes still searching. "People are watching. The Luna should look happy."

Luna's smile became wider. It hurt her face, but she had learned to hide pain. She had become very good at it over the past two years.

Around them, the unmated wolves were dancing, laughing, and looking at each other with hope. Some would find their fated mates tonight. Some would find nothing. Life was cruel that way.

A man approached them with a greeting for the Alpha. Massimo responded politely, but Luna could feel the tension in his body. He wanted to move, to get closer to her. To the woman in white.

Luna excused herself and walked toward the bathroom. She couldn't watch this anymore. Not tonight. Not when she had been planning to tell him about their child.

In the empty bathroom, Luna looked at herself in the mirror. She still looked beautiful. The gown was still perfect. But her eyes told the truth. Her eyes were crying, even though her face remained calm.

She heard footsteps and quickly fixed her expression. A woman entered the bathroom, and Luna recognized her. It was the woman in white.

For a moment, they just looked at each other. The woman's eyes were red, like she had been crying too.

"I'm sorry," the woman said suddenly. Her voice was soft and broken. "I didn't want this. I didn't ask for this."

Luna understood. This woman hadn't chosen to be Massimo's fated mate. The Moon Goddess had made that choice for her. And the woman could see that Luna loved him. She could probably feel it through the bond that wolves had with each other.

"It's not your fault," Luna said, and she meant it. She turned to leave, but the woman grabbed her hand.

"Please don't hate me," she whispered.

Luna wanted to say that she didn't hate her. But she also wanted to say that this wasn't fair. She wanted to scream and break things. Instead, she just nodded and left the bathroom.

When she returned to the ballroom, Massimo was waiting for her with impatience written all over his face. Before she could reach him, he took her arm and guided her away from the crowd, toward a private room.

Once they were alone, he closed the door.

"Luna," he started, using her title instead of her name. That was the first sign that what he was about to say was official, not personal. "We need to discuss the agreement we made."

Luna already knew what was coming. She had known since the moment she saw him looking at that woman with longing in his eyes. But hearing him say it out loud was different.

"What about it?" she asked, even though she knew.

"My fated mate is here," he said. The words came out cold and final, like stones being thrown at her chest. "We need to end our bond."

Luna had prepared herself for this moment. She had even told herself that she would accept it with dignity. But now that the moment was here, she couldn't find her strength.

"Right now?" she asked quietly. "At the Mating Ball? With everyone here?"

"The sooner we do it, the better," Massimo said. His eyes were already moving back toward the door, toward her. Toward his fated mate. "Thank you for being such an amazing Luna. You've done everything perfectly. The pack loves you, and you've taken care of things beautifully. I don't think anyone could have done your job better."

He said it like he was thanking a servant who was leaving his employment. Luna felt something inside her break.

"When do you want me to leave?" she heard herself ask.

"We can wait until after the ball. But tomorrow morning, I think it would be best if you pack your things. My mate will need the Luna position, and the pack will need to adjust. We should make the announcement in a few days."

Luna nodded. She couldn't speak anymore. If she opened her mouth, she would either scream or cry, and a Luna never did either.

Massimo left the room first, eager to return to his fated mate. Luna waited several minutes before following him. When she returned to the ballroom, she saw him standing close to the woman in white. They weren't touching, but they were so close that everyone could see the bond between them.

The music had changed to a slow song. One by one, the mated couples began to dance. And then Massimo turned to his fated mate with his hand extended.

Luna watched as the woman took his hand. They moved onto the dance floor together. They didn't look at each other, and yet the connection between them was so strong that every wolf in the room could feel it.

Luna stood alone at the edge of the ballroom, still wearing her beautiful pink gown, still playing the role of the Luna. But inside, she was falling apart.

That's when she felt it. The kick. A small, gentle movement from the baby inside her.

Her hand moved to her stomach. Massimo didn't know. He would never know. This child was hers and hers alone now.

And Luna made a decision in that moment. She would not beg. She would not cry in front of him. She would take her child and disappear from his life completely. If he didn't want her, then she would make sure he never found her again.