Rejected Luna's New Pack

The drive back to the Moonstone Pack house was a blur. My hands gripped the steering wheel so tightly my knuckles turned white, but I barely felt it. The image of Robert fastening that ceremonial necklace around Diana's throat played on endless loop in my mind, each replay driving the knife deeper into my heart.

*Forty years*, Selene growled within me. *Forty years we gave them.*

My wolf, so long a gentle, nurturing presence, now burned with rage. The strange sensation I'd felt at the gathering—that surge of dormant Alpha strength—continued to pulse through my veins, fighting against the weakness that had plagued me for weeks.

When I pulled into the driveway of the pack house, the familiar stone building loomed before me like a stranger. The corridors that had welcomed me for decades now felt cold and unfamiliar as I walked through them, my footsteps echoing against marble floors I'd selected and polished to perfection.

Pack members nodded respectfully as I passed, unaware that their Luna had just witnessed the destruction of her entire life. I smiled automatically, the perfect mask I'd worn for forty years firmly in place despite the hurricane raging within.

"Luna Grace," a young Delta called, "the Alpha said he wouldn't be back until tomorrow morning."

"Thank you, Liam," I replied, my voice steady despite the bitter taste the word 'Alpha' now left in my mouth.

I made my way to Robert's study, drawn there by instinct or perhaps by Selene's growing influence. The heavy oak door swung open at my touch, revealing the room where so many pack decisions had been made—decisions I'd supported without question, believing in the sanctity of our bond.

My gaze swept across the familiar space—the leather chair where Robert sat to issue commands, the bookshelf filled with volumes he rarely read, the photographs of pack gatherings where we stood side by side, the perfect Alpha pair. A lie, all of it.

A manila envelope sat in the center of his desk, sealed with Beta Marcus Thorne's official stamp. Something about its placement—centered perfectly, waiting—sent a chill down my spine.

I approached slowly, my fingers trembling as I broke the seal. The formal heading of the Moonstone Pack legal office stared back at me, cold and impersonal.

*Mate Rejection Proceedings: Alpha Robert Sullivan and Luna Grace Sullivan*

The room spun around me as I scanned the document. Legal terminology outlined the dissolution of our mate bond, the revocation of my Luna status, provisions for my "humane treatment" following rejection. The paper was dated three weeks ago—before my illness had even manifested.

*He planned this*, Selene snarled. *While you suffered, while you wondered what was happening to your body, he was preparing to discard you.*

I sank into Robert's chair, the leather still holding the imprint of his body. The rejection papers trembled in my hands, but not from fear or devastation. The burning sensation inside me intensified, my dormant Alpha strength responding to this final betrayal.

"Luna Grace?"

I looked up to find Marcus Thorne standing in the doorway, his expression a careful mask of professional concern. Robert's Beta and attorney, always the loyal executor of my mate's will.

"I see you found the documents," he said, stepping into the study. "Alpha Robert instructed me to discuss the terms with you upon his return, but since you've discovered them..."

I folded the papers carefully, sliding them back into the envelope with deliberate movements. Forty years of diplomatic pack management had taught me to hide my true feelings behind a serene smile.

"How long have you been working on these, Marcus?" I asked, my voice calm despite the storm raging within.

He shifted uncomfortably. "Luna, I merely follow Alpha orders. The specifics of—"

"How long?" The word emerged with unexpected force, carrying a hint of Alpha command that made Marcus's eyes widen in surprise.

"Two months," he admitted, then quickly added, "The Alpha wanted to ensure your transition would be as comfortable as possible. The provisions are quite generous."

I stood, the rejection papers clutched in my hand. "And Diana? How long has she been waiting to take my place?"

Marcus's expression confirmed what I already knew. This wasn't a recent development—this betrayal had been years, perhaps decades in the making.

"Luna, perhaps we should wait for Alpha Robert to return before discussing these matters further," he suggested, his discomfort evident. "These are sensitive pack issues that—"

"Yes," I cut him off, a strange calm settling over me as Selene's strength continued to build inside me. "They certainly are."

I walked past him, the rejection papers still in my hand. For the first time in forty years, I had no intention of waiting for Robert Sullivan to tell me what to do.

My mate wanted to reject me? Perhaps it was time I rejected him first.