His Rejected Luna

The Price of Power: The Fire That Won't Die

I am burning.

Not with flames. Not with heat.

But with something older.

Something darker.

My body feels too small to contain it, my skin tight as the energy surges through my veins, twisting like a wild storm. My breath comes in ragged, uneven gasps as I struggle to stay conscious, but it's like trying to hold back a tidal wave with my bare hands.

Distantly, I hear voices.

"Aria!"

It's Kieran.

I want to look at him, want to tell him that I'm fine—that I can handle this, whatever this is.

But I'm not fine.

I am breaking.

The world around me pulses, a distorted blur of shadows and flickering light. My legs buckle beneath me, but before I can hit the ground, strong arms catch me.

Warm. Familiar.

Kieran.

His scent—smoke and pine—wraps around me like a tether, something solid in the chaos threatening to consume me. But even as he holds me, his body tense with barely restrained panic, I can feel him hesitate.

Because he doesn't know if I'm still me.

Neither do I.

---

Losing Control

"Aria." His voice is rough, urgent, but there's something else beneath it—something I never thought I'd hear from him.

Fear.

For me.

I blink up at him, my vision swimming. "I—I can't—"

Another surge of energy ripples through me, and Kieran flinches. His grip tightens, as if anchoring me to him will stop whatever's happening inside me.

But it won't.

It can't.

Because this power isn't something I can fight.

It's something I've always had.

Something I've never been allowed to touch.

Until now.

Kieran's hands move to my face, his thumbs brushing over my cheeks as he forces me to look at him. "Breathe," he murmurs. "Stay with me."

I try. I really do.

But the fire won't stop.

A choked sob escapes my throat as the power inside me lashes out. The earth trembles beneath us, the trees swaying as if caught in a storm.

And then—

A voice, cold and sharp, slices through the night.

"Step away from her, Alpha."

---

A Dangerous Offer

Caelum.

He stands a few feet away, his silver eyes glinting like moonlight on steel. There's no amusement in his expression this time. No smirking. No cryptic riddles.

Just knowing.

And something else—something deadly.

Kieran stiffens but doesn't let go of me. "Not now, Caelum."

Caelum tilts his head, studying me like a puzzle he's already solved. "If you don't let her go, she's going to tear herself apart."

Kieran growls low in his throat. "She's not your concern."

"Isn't she?" Caelum's gaze flickers to mine, sharp and assessing. "She's Lunarborn, Alpha. That makes her my concern."

Lunarborn.

The word settles over me like a second skin—unfamiliar yet undeniable.

Kieran's hold on me tightens. "She's mine."

Something dark and unreadable flickers in Caelum's eyes. "No, Kieran. You rejected her. Remember?"

The air goes still.

I feel Kieran's body go rigid against mine. His breath hitches—just barely—but I feel it.

Because Caelum is right.

Kieran did reject me.

And now?

Now, when I'm falling apart, when I'm becoming something he's always feared—he wants to claim me again?

Rage flares beneath my skin, just as sharp as the power still tearing through me.

I shove away from Kieran, stumbling back on unsteady legs. His hands twitch, as if he wants to reach for me, but I shake my head.

"No." My voice is hoarse, barely above a whisper, but it still carries through the clearing. "You don't get to act like I belong to you."

Kieran's jaw tightens. "Aria, that's not—"

"I don't belong to anyone," I snap, my pulse pounding. "Not to you. Not to the pack. Not to the Council." My breath shudders as another pulse of energy ripples through me, sparking at my fingertips like silver fire. "And if you think you can just claim me now, after everything—"

Kieran steps toward me. "That's not what I—"

Caelum sighs. "Gods, you two are exhausting."

I whirl on him, my vision still blurred from the aftermath of the surge, my body still buzzing with untamed power. "And you—" I take a shaky breath. "You knew, didn't you?"

Caelum arches a brow. "Knew what?"

I clench my fists. "What I am."

A slow, knowing smirk tugs at his lips. "Oh, little wolf." He steps closer, his silver eyes gleaming. "I didn't just know." He leans in slightly, lowering his voice. "I've been waiting for you."

A shiver crawls down my spine.

Kieran snarls. "Back off, Caelum."

But Caelum ignores him, his attention fixed solely on me. "You're stronger than you think, Aria." His voice is softer now, almost… reverent. "You don't need them. You never did."

I shake my head. "I don't understand."

His smirk fades. "You will."

Then—

The ground trembles.

Not from me this time.

From them.

---

The Council Has Found Me

I don't hear them coming.

I feel them.

A ripple of something ancient moves through the air, colder than ice, sharper than a blade. It presses against my skin, wrapping around my lungs like a vice.

Then—

A dozen figures step into the clearing.

Dressed in flowing, dark robes embroidered with silver runes, their faces hidden beneath shadowed hoods.

The Council.

The ones who decided my fate before I was even born.

The ones who wanted me erased.

My pulse stammers, my body still thrumming with unstable energy.

The leader steps forward. Their voice is smooth, empty.

"Lunarborn."

The title drips with disdain, as if I am nothing more than an abomination.

I square my shoulders, forcing my legs to stay steady. "That's me."

The leader's hood tilts slightly, assessing me. "You were not meant to survive."

A slow, humorless smile curves my lips. "Guess I ruined your plans."

A flicker of something passes through the gathered figures—annoyance? Amusement?

It doesn't matter.

Because I already know why they're here.

They came to finish what they started.

I glance at Kieran. At Caelum.

Neither of them move.

Because this isn't their fight.

It's mine.

I inhale deeply, feeling the power still smoldering beneath my skin.

If they came here expecting me to surrender…

They were dead wrong.

The Council has come to erase Aria for good. But this time, she's ready to fight back.