His Rejected Luna

A Lie Wrapped in Rejection

His words slither into my mind like a venomous snake, sinking deep before I can even begin to fight them off.

"He lied."

I don't move. I don't speak.

The stranger watches me, his silver eyes gleaming with the kind of knowledge that feels ancient and dangerous. The wind rustles through the trees, making the night feel colder than it already is, but the chill seeping into my bones has nothing to do with the weather.

Kieran's rejection was a lie?

I force myself to breathe, to focus. "You don't know what you're talking about."

His smirk doesn't fade. If anything, it deepens.

"Don't I?"

I clench my fists. "He rejected me in front of the entire pack. There was nothing fake about it."

The stranger tilts his head, studying me like I'm some puzzle he's already solved but is amused watching me struggle with. "And yet, here you stand—still feeling the bond."

My breath catches in my throat.

He knows.

I hate that he knows.

I thought I was losing my mind, that I was just weak. That it was my own pathetic heart clinging to something that no longer existed.

But if I'm not imagining it…

If what he's saying is true…

Then why would Kieran lie?

My voice comes out sharp, demanding. "Who the hell are you?"

For the first time, his smirk falters. His expression turns unreadable, and for a brief moment, I catch something else beneath his careful mask.

Regret?

Pain?

Whatever it is, it's gone too fast for me to be sure.

"I go by many names," he says finally. "But you can call me Caelum."

Caelum.

The name rolls in my mind like a whispered secret. It doesn't sound like a rogue's name. It doesn't sound like a pack name either.

"Why are you helping me?" I demand.

"I never said I was helping you," he counters smoothly. "I'm only here to guide you toward the truth. What you do with it is up to you."

Frustration coils inside me. "And what is the truth?"

He steps closer, his movements impossibly fluid, like a predator who has never feared being hunted. His gaze pins me in place.

"That rejection wasn't meant to sever the mate bond," he murmurs. "It was meant to hide it."

The ground beneath me might as well have crumbled.

I shake my head, swallowing hard. "That's not possible."

Caelum raises an eyebrow. "Isn't it?"

My mind races. Could that even be true? The mate bond is sacred, tied by the Moon Goddess herself. There's only one way to break it—through full rejection, which should have severed all ties, both physical and emotional.

And yet…

I still feel him.

I still sense Kieran's presence lingering at the edges of my mind, like an ache that refuses to fade.

My stomach knots.

If Kieran didn't break the bond… what did he do?

--------

A Warning in Blood

Before I can demand more answers, a pained groan cuts through the silence.

The wounded wolf.

I had almost forgotten about him in the chaos. I spin around, spotting him still lying in the dirt, his breathing shallow. Blood has pooled beneath him, staining the earth in dark crimson.

I rush forward, dropping to my knees beside him. "Stay with me," I whisper, pressing my hands against the wound to slow the bleeding. "You're going to be okay."

His dark eyes flutter open, unfocused. He looks young—too young to be left alone in rogue territory. His lips part, but his voice is weak, barely audible.

"He's coming…"

I stiffen. "Who?"

The rogue shudders violently, his fingers grasping weakly at my arm. "The one who wants the Luna… He knows… He knows…"

My stomach clenches.

The Luna.

He's talking about me.

A gust of wind howls through the trees, and the temperature seems to drop even further. Dread slithers through my veins like ice.

Someone is looking for me.

Someone dangerous.

Caelum watches silently from the shadows, his expression unreadable.

I turn back to the rogue, my pulse hammering. "Who is coming? What do you mean?"

But the light in his eyes fades before he can answer.

A final breath leaves his lips.

And then—nothing.

I inhale sharply, my hands shaking as I pull them away from his lifeless body. Blood stains my skin, warm and sticky.

I push back the rising nausea and force myself to my feet. My mind spins with a thousand questions, but one stands out above the rest.

Who is hunting me?

And why?

-----

The Shadow in the Trees

Silence stretches between me and Caelum. I can feel his eyes on me, studying me, waiting. But I can't focus on him—not now. Not when my pulse is still racing from what the rogue said.

I take a shaky breath. "Tell me the truth."

Caelum folds his arms over his chest. "About what?"

"About why I'm still feeling the bond. About why someone wants me." I turn to face him, anger and confusion twisting inside me. "You know something, don't you?"

Caelum doesn't answer right away. Instead, he tilts his head, silver eyes scanning the darkness beyond us.

And then, he smirks.

"Ask your mate," he says lazily. "Looks like he's already on his way."

My breath stutters. "What?"

A rustling sound echoes through the trees.

My heart slams against my ribs as I turn toward the noise. The wind shifts, carrying a scent that is unmistakable, one that is imprinted deep into my very soul.

Pine. Smoke. A hint of something dark and wild beneath it.

Kieran.

Kieran is coming—but is it to find me… or to stop me from learning the truth?