Rejected Luna's Royal Vengeance

After I packed my bags, I was ready to leave the Silver Moon Pack territory for good.

Unexpectedly, Briar grabbed my arm, his grip firm, almost possessive. "I’m talking to you, didn’t you hear me?" His voice was sharp, the tone of a Beta accustomed to obedience.

I wrenched my arm away, my voice steady despite the storm inside me. "Did you hear what I said? I said we’re done. The mate bond is over. Whether anyone else wants me is none of your concern."

He let out a harsh laugh, his golden eyes glinting with disbelief. "I know you too well, Aviana. Every time we argue, you pull that face, but just one sweet word from me, and you’re all smiles again. You’re not serious about this."

I glanced around the room, the walls adorned with photos of us—us at the pack training academy, us during our early days in the Silver Moon Pack. Our matching mugs sat on the counter, a relic of simpler times. "Typically, someone serious about breaking a mate bond would get rid of these things," he said, his voice dripping with condescension. "Stop the act. Do you think your performance is better than mine?"

My wolf stirred in the back of my mind, a faint whimper of pain echoing my own. I shut her out, refusing to let her weakness show. "I have no time for this, Briar. I need to take Ivey to the pack gathering for the autumn moon feast with your father. We should visit the infirmary to see my mom. Oh, and when we pass by the market, I’ll buy some herbs for her."

A pang of sorrow hit me as I looked at him. Six years ago, when he was just a struggling Delta, he treated me and my mom so well. Even if he didn’t have much in terms of resources, he would still bring her the rare herbs she needed for her healing practices. My mom, feeling sorry for us, pretended to prefer the cheaper, more common herbs. But now, no matter how many herbs he bought, my mom wouldn’t be there to use them.

"Briar," I said, my voice firm, "I’ve paid for my share of the pack resources here until the end of the month. These things—it’s not that I can’t bear to throw them away; they just don’t mean anything to me anymore. Do whatever you want with them."

"As for my mom, you’ll never see her again."

"From today, you’re free. And please, don’t interfere in my life anymore. I have no regrets about the six years we spent together, but they’re memories I don’t wish to relive. If we cross paths again, let’s just be strangers."

With that, I turned and walked away without glancing back, my head held high despite the ache in my chest.

After taking my belongings back to my mom’s old house in the outskirts of the territory, I went to the pack’s training grounds to formally resign from my position. I packed my personal items into a box at my desk and started handing over my responsibilities to the other warriors.

On the last day, those pack members who had whispered behind my back came out in full force to mock me openly.

"Oh my, what’s this? Even the one who threw herself at the Beta got dumped?" one Delta sneered, her voice carrying across the training field.

"I’ll tell you what, as you age, maybe get a clue," another chimed in, her tone laced with venom. "How can you compete with the young Lunas? You’re not even fit to shine their shoes."

"That’s right!" a third added, her laughter sharp and cruel. "Playing maid to our Beta, and he doesn’t even notice you. Aviana, here’s a suggestion: if you’re so into him, why not marry his father? Hahaha!"

"Yes, that’s a thought," the first one continued, her voice rising with glee. "Or you could just be their housekeeper—at least you’d get a meal. Because once you’re out of this pack, finding another position will be tough!"

I was shaking with anger, just about to retort, when a sleazy voice came from the entrance to the training grounds. "I wouldn’t mate a woman my son was bored of," Callan Ryan, Briar’s father and the pack’s Gamma, said with a leer. "But if you insist on warming my bed, I might consider it."

The room erupted in laughter, the sound echoing in my ears as I clenched my fists, my wolf growling softly in the back of my mind. But I held my ground, refusing to let them see how their words cut. I was done with this pack, done with Briar, and done with their petty cruelty. I had a new path to forge, and nothing—not their mockery, not their scorn—would stop me.