Rejected Luna Of The Cursed Alpha

Nowhere To Go

Aria's POV

The forest went on forever before my eyes. Only when Beta James lightly touched my shoulder did I realize how deep I had gone.

"Lady Aria."

I turned around.

Beta James stood several steps away from me with worry lines on his otherwise calm face. Two wolves, which had chased the rogues away, had long ago vanished back into the trees, leaving only James and me in the creepy silence.

My knees gave way. All the strength that I was holding on to after the ceremony drained away and I dropped down on the wet floor of the forest.

James caught me before I could fall on the ground. "You have to sit."

I did not protest.

Could not.

Hollow feeling inside of me.

Rejection.

Whispers.

Moonstone rejecting me too.

Serena standing proudly next to Kael.

Each one of the memories repeated itself again and again until I was no longer able to tell which one was more painful.

James kneeled down in front of me. "Have you been hurt?"

I shook my head. "Don't think so."

"You've been lucky."

Lucky?

The word threatened to make me burst into laughter. No lucky woman ever lost her husband, home and child on the same day.

Lucky women did not go into the woods to end up prey.

My fingers gripped the material of my dress. “I…” My voice broke on the word.

James bowed his head.

He had always been a quiet man, even back at the mansion. Only when he had to speak.

Nothing changed today.

He just waited.

But somehow…

This made everything worse.

All the tears that I had been holding back came spilling over. “I left him.” My words were broken. “I left Leo.” Another sob escaped me. “My baby must be crying now.”

I pressed my face in my hands. “He’ll probably be hungry.” Another sob came through. “I always used to feed him about this time.” My chest ached.

Before long, it hit me.

The familiar sensation.

My breasts hurt because of their fullness.

Milk. I was still making milk, believing that my baby was still near.

My body did not know that he was gone. I hugged myself, thinking this might make it better.

It did not.

James looked away, offering me whatever small privacy he could.

“I’m sorry,” I whispered, but for whom?

For Leo.

For myself.

Perhaps even for the small family that I had convinced myself was real over the course of the last three years. It took several minutes for me to regain control over my breathing.

James gave me his canteen. "You need to drink something."

I grabbed it, my hands shaking uncontrollably. The cold liquid calmed my parched throat. It wasn't until then that I realized just how tired I was, I hadn't eaten anything after breakfast, I had not slept well for days and I had just given birth.

And yet...

Now I have nowhere to go.

James got up and held out his hand. "We'd better leave before dusk."

I glanced past him. The trail back to Valemont was obscured by rows and rows of tall trees. Somewhere beyond them...

My Leo was waiting for me there.

Another pang of pain. "Can I..." I took a breath. "Can I at least say goodbye?"

James's expression softened slightly. "No."

The refusal was uttered kindly, But it was still a no.

I cast my gaze downwards. "She won't allow me anywhere near him."

James stayed silent.

His silence was an answer in itself.

With all of my strength I rose to my feet, everything in my body screamed at me. The birth had exhausted me enough. But now the walk through the forest seemed to weaken me further.

James reduced his speed to match mine.

Not a single one of us said anything for a while.

There was only the sound of our footsteps on the dead leaves and of birds settling in trees far away from us.

After some time, I could no longer keep my mouth shut. "Where are we heading?"

"There is a pack to the east."

"To the next pack?"

He nodded.

"I know the Alpha there. He is indebted to me."

I frowned.

"Isn't it all arranged already?"

"I wish I would never have to do this."

The words hung heavy between us.

I looked at him, but he kept his gaze on the road ahead of us.

As if he didn’t want to face me.

The question that had been burning inside me ever since he had found me came out at last. "Is..." I paused. "Has Alpha Kael sent you to help me?"

James halted.

There was silence for a few moments.

Then he took a deep breath and let it out slowly. "No."

Even my rescuer wasn't from Kael.

I nodded to myself. "Yes, I see." But the fact remained that I couldn't.

Why had James shown up?

Why was he in the right place at the right time?

And since Kael didn't send him...

Then who did?

Or why?

We continued to walk in silence.

The farther away we were from Valemont, the quieter the forest became. It was almost unnerving. The cheery chirping of the birds was long gone; instead, there was the sound of branches being swayed by the clouds forming in the sky.

I clutched myself even more tightly.

Not due to the coldness but every now and then, my body reminded me that I needed to hold my son. A sudden pain shot through my chest.

Unconsciously, I placed my hand on it.

James must have seen. "You should take some rest."

I offered him a smile that did not quite reach my eyes. "I will be fine."

He did not believe me, but he made no attempt to protest. After thirty more minutes of walking, the first droplet of rain hit my hand. Another one followed. Within seconds, the sky burst into a storm. The rain fell heavily, quickly making us wet.

James glanced upwards and then looked ahead at the forest. "We need some shelter."

A lightning strike flashed across the sky, followed shortly after by loud thunder.

I cringed.

"Come this way."

He took me away from the narrow path until I saw the wooden cabin. It was not in good condition anymore. Parts of its roof were drooping, some vines were climbing its walls, and one window had already cracked into pieces.

"It belonged to hunters," James told me as he opened the door, which squeaked loudly. "It will give us some protection from the rain tonight."

The interior of the cabin smelled of dry wood and dust. There were only a few things here. There was a fireplace. There was an old wooden table.

Only one chair.

Only one narrow bed hidden in a corner.

James went to inspect the perimeters and came back again. "There's no one here," he said.

I nodded and walked deeper into the cabin. The noise of the raindrops hitting the roof made the silence even more audible.

James squatted next to the fireplace and tried to start a fire several times.

Orange flames gradually appeared, creating a warm atmosphere in the room. For the first time since leaving Valemont, I did not feel cold anymore.

"I'll go look for some food," James said as he stood up. "There should be some rabbits or berries nearby."

"You don’t have to.”

He looked at me. "You have not eaten."

It was only then that I realized that he was right.

"I will return before night falls."

Somehow, something inside me tightened. "Don’t leave me for too long."

His face became softer. "I will not." And he went outside.

The door clicked shut behind him.

I was alone.

The flames crackled gently. The rain beat down upon the roof while the wind whistled through the cracked windows. I slowly approached the bed and sat down.

The mattress sank under my weight.

Strange.

Not long ago, I had awoken in the Alpha’s mansion.

In luxury.

Now...

I did not even know where my place was anymore. I looked at the little bag James had brought me after the attack. I took it out of the bag.

Most of my possessions had been left behind.

There was an extra dress.

A comb.

A little blanket.

But...

My fingers felt something small.

I pulled it out.

Leo’s little knitted socks.

I stared at it.

It was small enough to fit in my palm.

Helen had knitted them when I was pregnant. I recalled how I used to laugh at her insistence that Leo would grow out of them too soon.

Now, I wasn't sure I would ever see him wear them again. A sob escaped me before I could help it.

I held the socks to my chest. "I'm sorry…" The words were barely audible. "I am so sorry, Leo." Tears welled up in my eyes once more. "I should've fought harder. "I couldn't stop shaking. "I should have taken you with me."

The cabin absorbed all the sounds of my sobs.

No one heard them.

Except for the storm.

Time ticked away without any significance.

After a while, my sobbing became light sniffles, I swiped the back of my hand across my face and stood up.

The fire had dimmed somewhat.

I knelt down next to it and put a piece of wood that James had left close by into the fire. The flames roared higher.

A little bit warmer.

A little bit brighter.

But then…

I heard something.

Crunch.

I stopped dead in my tracks.

Crunch again.

Not thunder.

Not rain.

Footsteps.

There was someone out there.

My heart leapt up into my mouth.

"James?" I asked aloud.

No response.

Only the footsteps grew louder.

Slow.

Growing nearer.

All my instincts screamed at me to run, but I had nowhere to go. The cabin had only one door. My gaze flickered about the room until it rested upon the poker that was lying beside the fire.

I clutched it in both my hands.

The cold steel shook nearly as much as I did.

The sound of footsteps ceased.

Silence.

Even the sound of rain was muted.

Then there came the turning of a wooden knob.

The squeak of the aged door.

A rush of cold air swept into the room.

Standing there with rainwater dripping off his black garments and shoulders, taking up the entire width of the doorway, was the scariest man I had ever laid eyes upon.

Golden eyes stared at me.

For one terrifying second, neither of us moved.