THORNED ROSE: The Rising Luna

Rose

At the mating ceremony held for me, I had to swallow a bitter truth. My chosen mate rejected me as his mate. Before the Elders and the entire pack, my chosen mate claimed my stepsister as his new chosen mate, and right then and there, they marked each other.

In despair and pain from the rejection, a he-wolf approached me. Magnus Cline caught my body before I collapsed to the floor. He then declared me as his chosen mate instead.

I was speechless.

I had never spoken to him before, nor did I even know if we had ever met. But in his eyes, I saw no mockery like I did from the others. I saw sincerity.

I refused to acknowledge it at the time. But Magnus didn’t give up.

He pursued me for two years, with a patience I never expected. On my twenty-sixth birthday, he gave me a first-edition novel by Kyrie Brady, a famous mystery author I admired. Three months later, he surprised me again with a book signing session for Kyrie’s latest mystery novel.

Magnus rebuilt my trust, made me feel valued. He knew everything I liked and disliked. He was also the one who encouraged me to develop my business talents and apply them.

When I finally became the CEO of LupeNova Group, the company run by the Moonblade Pack in the field of leading global content creation. Magnus was by my side, supporting my every step.

And when I finally accepted him as my mate, I believed that the Moon Goddess had guided me to a mate who truly loved me. He also became the Alpha of the Moonblade pack.

I believed I had found my home.

But I was wrong.

*

That night—one night before our third anniversary—I stood gripping the door handle of Alpha Magnus’s study as their voices echoed from inside.

“I know this is hard for you,” Beta Dean’s voice came. “But you have to accept the truth, Alpha Magnus. Luna Rose is your mate now.”

“She’s not Stephenie.”

My entire body froze. The envelope in my hand slipped to the floor. My heart felt as if it was being crushed by an invisible force.

Beta Dean sighed. “You still love her.”

Silence. And that silence made me even more anxious as I waited for Alpha Magnus’s response.

“I have always loved her,” he finally said. “I did all of this out of anger at the time, but I regret it. Stephenie told me she regrets it just as much as I do.”

My world crumbled.

I took a step back, my head spinning, trying to process the words I had just heard.

I was just a consolation prize.

All this time, I thought Alpha Magnus pursued me because he saw something valuable in me. But in reality, I was the one who misjudged everything.

I placed a trembling hand on my stomach, where a tiny life was growing. We had shared passionate nights together, making me believe I was the only she-wolf in his life. But now, I wondered—had he ever really seen me? Or had he only seen Stephenie?

If not for this child, I might have left that very night.

But I had to stay. At least until this child was born.

Lost in my turmoil, I returned to the parking lot, abandoning my plan to tell Magnus about my pregnancy. I drove away, tears streaming down my face. I was so overwhelmed that I failed to notice the traffic light turning red.

My wolf instincts dulled—I couldn't sense danger in my distress. And just like that, my vision went black.

*

I sat on the hospital bed, my fingers trembling as they touched my now-empty stomach. The pain still lingered with every slight movement.

I thought he would have heard by now.

I had lost our baby.

I wanted to cry, but I had already run out of tears. I waited for Magnus to come, hoping that, even just a little, he would comfort me.

But he never came.

And when he finally did, it wasn’t for me.

Even in my weakened state, I heard his voice from outside the room.

“You have to be patient, Stephenie,” Alpha Magnus whispered. “When the time is right, we can be together again like before.”

My throat felt dry. I could no longer feel pain—only emptiness.

Beta Dean murmured something to Alpha Magnus.

“Don’t let Luna Rose find out,” Magnus replied. “I don’t want to hurt her.”

I let out a bitter chuckle. Ironic. He didn’t want to hurt me? Yet, he had shattered me more than anyone ever had.

Moments later, Alpha Magnus entered the room and froze when he saw me. He hesitated for a moment but quickly masked his expression with a warm smile. I could already tell he was about to start his charade.

“You’re finally awake, my love. I was so worried when Dr. Harper called me.” He gently stroked my hand.

“Our baby…” A tear slipped down my cheek, even though I despised crying for him after knowing his lies.

Alpha Magnus pulled me into his embrace and said, “We can have another one, Rose. What matters is that you survived the accident, and I can still hold you like this.”

He had been so skilled at deception. No wonder I had been blind—so foolish—falling for his honeyed words time and time again.

But no more. I severed the mind-link, shutting him out, refusing to let him invade my thoughts.

“I’m here to ensure you recover,” Alpha Magnus said, his tone carefully measured. “I’ve arranged for special care.”

A hollow laugh escaped my lips, sharp and bitter. “Special care? That sounds more like imprisonment.”

He didn’t respond. His face remained an impassive mask of feigned concern, his lies coiling around me like a noose.

In the suffocating silence of the room, I made a vow—to the child I had lost, to myself, and to the Moon Goddess. I would not break again.