True Mate: His Rejected Luna

I was unpleasantly surprised when I came downstairs. Sienna was standing in my kitchen, looking at me like she wanted to kill me. She was my brother's and Alpha's best friend. She was 25, just like my brother and Alpha, and she has been hanging out with them since childhood. Now, she was clinging to them like they were a lifeboat. She was devastated when she learned that neither my brother nor Alpha was her mate. That didn't stop her from trying to become Luna. She was always around Alpha, proving herself and trying to convince him to take her as his chosen mate. Werewolves could do that. If their mate died or they didn't find their true mate, they could take a chosen one. It was frowned upon, especially in our pack, because we took mates very seriously. Most packs did, but some had a milder attitude toward chosen mates. Sienna was tall, blonde, and perfect. Her make-up was always on point. Her hair was always combed and styled to perfection. But she destroyed all that with the way she behaved. She was bitchy, mean, and disrespectful. She hated me and treated me like I was trash. But only when we were alone. When we were around my brother or Alpha, she was a totally different person. She was nice to me, and she once told my brother that I was like a little sister to her. Yuck. I tried telling my brother about her, but he didn't believe me. He told me I was jealous of her and how much time they spent together. "Sienna," I said coldly and grabbed a mug from a cupboard. "Good morning, ugly," she said and smirked. "It must be good to sleep as long as you do." "Maybe you should try it too," I said as I poured coffee into my mug. "You need as much beauty sleep as you can get." I turned toward her with a smirk on my face. She was pissed. "You little bitch," she said through her teeth. "I will become Luna soon, and I will exile you so soon you will not be able to blink." She always did this. She threatened to exile me when she became Luna. I knew she would actually do it, and I could only hope she didn't become Luna. I wanted to say something, but I heard the front door open. My brother and our Alpha walked into our kitchen. Sienna quickly put on the biggest fake smile on her face. I rolled my eyes. How didn't anybody see how fake she was? "Good morning, little one," my brother said and kissed my forehead. That was his favorite nickname for me. I was small, smaller than any wolf my age, and he liked to point that out. Mainly because he was huge. 6'4, and had muscles all over his body, just like Alpha. We looked a lot alike. We both had brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was more tanned than me, though. I inherited my mom's pale complexion. Even though I was out in the sun all the time, I couldn’t seem to get tanned. "Good morning, Andrew. Good morning, Logan," I said and smiled. I get to call Alpha by his first name only in the privacy of our homes. On other occasions, I must refer to him as Alpha. Or Alpha Logan. Sienna didn't like that. She gave me an 'I will kill you' look over their shoulders. "Good morning, Emma," Logan said as he sat at our kitchen table. "What are your plans today, Em?" Andrew asked as he poured coffee for himself and Logan. "Nothing much," I responded. "I have a training session in an hour, and then I will just hang out with Amy and Jacob." "Tomorrow is your first shift. Are you excited?" Logan asked me and took his coffee mug from my brother. "Yes," I said and smiled brightly. "I can't wait to meet my wolf." "Maybe you will find your mate, Emma," Sienna said coldly. "And maybe we will lose you to him tomorrow." She gave a fake sad look to my brother. Goddess, they were so blind if they didn't see through her act. "Don't worry, Sienna," my brother said. "She will always be our little sister. No mate will take that away from us." I wanted to scream and throw up. She was not my sister! She was a fake bitch who couldn't wait to get rid of me! But I couldn't say anything, so I gave him a fake smile. "After your shift, you can start working at the packhouse," Logan said. "You went to high school to work at the pack office, right?" "I did," I said and smiled. "I can't wait to start working." "Good," Logan said, smiling back at me. He was handsome, even more when he smiled. And that was rare. He was usually very serious and focused only on his job as an Alpha. He always did what was best for his pack. That was why he was so successful. He was as tall and muscular as my brother. Maybe even more. The Alpha and beta of the pack were always the most vital wolves. And it always showed. You could always see who Alpha and beta were. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes. His jaw and his nose were chiseled perfectly, and his lips looked soft. He was hot. No wonder Sienna was all over him. She drooled after my brother as well, but being Beta's mate wasn't good enough for her. Although, if my brother took her as his chosen mate, she would accept that as well. She was only after the title and power. Too bad they couldn't see that. A doorbell interrupted my thoughts. Jacob was here.

"Is that Jacob?" my brother asked. I nodded and put the mug in the dishwasher. "I will see you tonight. Goodbye, Logan. Sienna." I said and gave my brother a kiss on the cheek. Logan smiled at me, and Sienna gave me a cold stare. I walked out of the kitchen and opened the front door. My friend Jacob was standing there, smiling at me. I always had a crush on him. He was handsome, tall, muscular, and had black hair. His dark brown eyes looked like a pool of chocolate. And I loved chocolate. Sometimes I wished that he would be my mate. We would have been great together, and I knew he liked me. He told me himself. We never dated or even talked about it. We saved ourselves for our mates. It wasn't forbidden to have sex with others, but it was frowned upon, primarily by our pack elders. The rest of the pack agreed that we should wait for our mates but turned away when they saw someone dating outside of a mate bond. Not all of us saved ourselves for our mates, though. I knew for a fact that my brother and Logan had their share of she-wolves. I was sure Logan even slept with Sienna, adding to her belief that she would become his Luna. Jake and I never talked about it, but I knew he slept with some she-wolves as well. Jacob was 22, but he still hadn't found his mate. So maybe he was mine, and I was his. I would not be happy to know he slept around if he was my mate, but I didn't want to hold his past against him. "Good morning, beautiful," he said and kissed me on the cheek. "Morning, Jake," I said and closed the front door. "Are you excited?" he asked and took my hand in his. "Yes, I am," I said with a big smile on my face. "I can't wait to shift." "It will be amazing," he said. "You will be amazing. I am really honored that you asked me to be there." "Of course, I did," I said. "You and Amy are my best friends! I want you there." "Maybe I will be something else to you as well," he said and winked. I laughed. "Maybe you will." We walked over to the training grounds together. Amy was already there, waiting for us. She was a year older than me, and we met at high school. She introduced me to Jacob. They were cousins. She and Jacob looked a lot alike. She had the same black hair as he did. Her eyes were a little bit lighter than his, though. "Well, if it isn't my two favorite wolves," she said and smiled brightly. "Hello, Amy," Jake said and gave her a kiss on her cheek. She gave me a big hug. "I can't wait to meet your wolf tomorrow, Emmy. Our wolves will be best friends. I just know it. Just like we are." "Oh, I am sure Alora will love my wolf," I said with a huge grin. Our wolves had their own names. Amy's wolf was named Alora, and Jake's was named Jared. I couldn't wait to learn my wolf's name. "Enough chit-chatting, girls. Time to train. I will see you later," Jake said and walked over to his training ground. Jacob worked as a patrol wolf, so he trained harder and differently than us. Patrol wolves trained separately from the rest of us. Amy worked at a greenhouse. She was terrific with plants. Jacob and I sometimes trained together. He taught me a little bit about what they do at their training sessions. He said he wanted me to know as much as possible to be able to defend myself. He wanted me safe. After an hour and a half, we were done with our daily training session. Jake still had an hour left, so Amy and I went home to shower and change. We would meet at the diner we always went to. When I came home, Andrew was not there. He was out dealing with pack stuff. Being a Beta wasn't like any other nine-to-five job. There was always something to do. Especially when your Alpha was Logan. I quickly showered and changed into a pair of jeans, a white sweater, and my black Converse sneakers. I dried my hair and let it fall to my waist. When I reached the diner, Amy was already sitting at our usual booth. "Hey, lady," she said. "You look amazing." "Thank you," I smiled. "Not as amazing as you." She was gorgeous, tall, and skinny but with curves in all the right places and totally confident. All the boys wanted her. "So, tomorrow is the big day," she said, sipping her chocolate milkshake. "Yes. I am so excited." "Maybe Jake will be your mate, and we will be family," she said with a big smile on her face. "I would love that," I said. "You know I love Jake. He would be a great mate." "And he is totally in love with you," she laughed. "Most boys are, actually." "What are you talking about?" I said and frowned. The waitress brought me my strawberry milkshake, and I thanked her before sipping my drink. It was amazing. "Come on, Emma," she said and rolled her eyes. "You are beautiful and hot. I can't believe you never noticed the looks you are getting. It makes Jake totally jealous." "I always thought they were looking at you," I said and smirked. Amy laughed. "Well, they do. But I am not the only one they are looking at." I blushed and looked down at my hands. "Well, I don't care. I will wait for my mate." "And here he comes," Amy announced and pointed at the door. Jake walked in with a big smile and came over to our booth. He sat down beside me and kissed my cheek. "Hey, girls. What are we talking about?" he asked. "Mates," Amy said with a massive grin on her face. "I can't wait to revisit that topic tomorrow," Jake said and winked at me. I laughed and blushed. "Okay, stop making me blush." Jake laughed and pinched my cheek. "Why? There is no prettier sight." "Okay, love birds. Enough," Amy said and laughed. "Emma, when are we meeting tomorrow?" "Well, I will have lunch with my brother and spend the day with him, and we will meet at the shift site at 8 p.m.," I said. My brother and I had a tradition of spending our birthdays together. No other people. Just him and me. We always had breakfast and lunch together. After that, we would watch a movie and eat as much cake as possible. I loved our tradition. "Great. I can't wait to see if your wolf will be as small as you," Amy said and laughed. Jake joined her as I glared at them. "You bitches." "Oh, come on, Emmy," Jake said, laughing. "We love how small you are." I frowned but joined their laughter. We spent the rest of the day talking, laughing, and planning our first run together. It was late when I came home, but Andrew was still out. I quickly showered, put on my pajamas, and got under my covers. I couldn't wait to see what was to come the next day.

'Good morning, Emma.' I turned towards the door to greet my brother, but nobody was standing there. I was alone. But whose voice was that? 'It is me, silly. Your wolf.' I flinched. Of course, it is my birthday. I got my wolf today. It was weird, though, to hear a voice inside my head. 'You will get used to it,' the voice said. 'It will take some time,' I responded. 'We have all the time in the world,' my wolf said. 'What is your name?' I asked her. 'Eliza.' 'I like it,' I told her. 'I know you do, Emma. Now, get up and go spend the day with your brother. Asher has already sensed my presence, and he can't wait to meet me,' She said. I got up excited and full of energy. I couldn't wait to see Eliza. I brushed my teeth, showered, and wore sweats and a hoodie. Perfect for a lazy birthday day with my brother. When I came downstairs, Andrew had already made pancakes. It was our traditional birthday breakfast. "Happy birthday, Emma!" he yelled and gave me a big hug. "Asher sensed Eliza. He is so excited to finally meet his sister." "She can't wait to meet him too," I said and gave him a big smile. I adored Asher. He was the best wolf there was. "Come on, let's eat," he said and pulled me to the table. After we were full, we went to the living room to start our first movie of the day. We always watched the Avenger series. Humans did a great job in those movies. At around 1 p.m., Andrew and I went to the kitchen to start making lunch. On my birthday, we always had my favorite meal, lasagna. On his birthday, we had his favorite meal, pizza. I started making the lasagna while Andrew sat down at the kitchen table. "Maybe you will find your mate soon," he said. "Maybe," I said, not looking up at him. I didn't like talking to him about this. He was my brother, and talking about mating was weird. And I didn't want to leave him, ever. I knew that it would be tough for me to leave with my mate. "Maybe it will be Jacob," he said. I looked up at him. "Would you be okay with that?" "Yes," he said and shrugged. "He is one of our best warriors, so I know you would be safe with him. And I know you like him already. It would be easier for you to go with him." I walked over and sat beside him. "It won't be easy for me to leave. No matter who my mate is. You are my family. I don't want to leave you." "I know, Em," he said and smiled. "I don't want you to leave either. But if you find your mate, you will have to. And we will be okay." "Maybe I won't find him," I said and got back up. "You never did." "Yes," he nodded. "But I have a pretty good feeling you will, and it will be Jacob." I smiled and rolled my eyes. "We will see." He got up and helped me finish our lunch. After we ate, we went back to the living room to watch another movie. At around 7 p.m., Andrew told me to go and get ready. We had to walk for about 20 minutes to reach the shifting site in the forest. It was a small clearing in the middle of the forest where all wolves went for their first shift. It was special because it was the only place in the forest where the moon could shine on you fully. Our forest was so thick that the moon could barely shine through the trees. The clearing was the only place it shone freely. I put on my white dress, chosen especially for this night. It was the tradition to wear white on the night of our first shift. I put on my shoes and went back downstairs. Andrew was waiting for me at the door. He handed me my jacket, and we left the house. My heart was pounding in my chest. Andrew probably heard it because he grabbed my hand and pulled me closer to him. "Don't be scared, Emma," he said quietly. "It will be amazing. And I will be there for you." "Thank you," I said. "I love you." "I love you too, little one," he said and gave me a side hug. After about 20 minutes, we arrived at the clearing. My friends and Luna Gloria were already there, waiting for us. Luna approached me first. "Happy birthday, sweetie. I can't wait to meet your wolf." "Thank you, aunt Gloria. She is excited to meet you too," I said with a big smile. Amy and Jacob came toward me with big smiles on their faces. "Happy birthday, Emmy," Amy said and gave me a tight hug. "Happy birthday, Emma," Jake said and kissed my cheek. "Now, let's meet your wolf. It is cold, and I don't want you to get sick." He was right. It was December, and the only thing I was wearing was a dress. I did have a jacket, but it wasn't keeping me warm. The only reason I wasn't shivering was excitement. "He is right, Emma," Andrew said. "Give me your jacket and stand in the middle of the clearing." I did what he said and stood in the middle of the clearing. They all gave me an encouraging smile and turned around to give me some privacy to remove my clothes. I carefully removed my dress, underwear, and shoes and folded them neatly into a pile. I stood back up and looked up at the moon. 'Are you ready, Emma?' My wolf asked. 'I am,' I responded. 'How do I do this?' 'Just let go. It will hurt. But don't fight it. It will be over soon. Let go and give me control,' she said. I did what she asked. I took a deep breath and let her take control of my mind and body. I started to feel my bones break. I let out a little scream and fell to my knees. "That's alright, Em," I heard my brother's voice. "It will be okay. Just let go." The pain was unbearable. It was like breaking all of your bones at the same time. I fought the urge to throw up and focused on letting go of my control.

A few moments later, I stood on all fours, my white fur shimmering under the moonlight. I took a deep breath and lifted my head proudly. My friends and family turned around and gasped. "She is white," Luna Gloria said. I looked at her and cocked my wolf head. Is that something special? 'We are a pure white wolf, Emma. Nobody is a pure white wolf,' Eliza said. 'What do you mean?' I asked her. 'There are white wolves. I have seen them before.' 'Yes. But none of them are pure white,' She said proudly. 'They all have a spot in a different color, or their paws are different. We are all white.' "What does that mean?" Amy asked quietly. "I don't know," my brother said, not taking his eyes off my wolf, "but she is beautiful." "She is," Jacob said quietly. I looked at him and immediately felt disappointed. No sparks. No connection. He is not my mate. 'We are not his,' Eliza said. 'We belong to somebody else.' 'What do you mean, Eliza?' I asked, surprised. 'Do you know who our mate is?' 'I do,' she said,’ you will know soon.' 'Who is he?' I asked. 'How do you know?' It wasn't expected for a wolf to know who his or her mate was. They only knew when they saw them. But not before. What was going on? 'I am not talking to you about it,' Eliza said. 'Now, stop thinking about this and focus on your friends and family. Andrew is trying to mind-link you.' I pulled my focus away from our conversation and focused on my brother's voice inside my head. Now that I shifted, I could mind-link the entire pack. Emma? He called me. Emma, can you hear me? Yes. I responded. Sorry, I was talking to Eliza. You are beautiful, Emma. He said proudly. Do you want to go for a run? Yes! I said with excitement in my voice. My brother told the rest of the group to shift, and we all went for a run. Eliza met all the wolves, and I could tell she loved them all. And they loved her. Especially Asher. He was attentive and careful with Eliza, just like Andrew was with me. When I had enough, I mind-linked Andrew to tell him to go back. All the excitement and nervousness got to me, and I was tired. We got back to the clearing and took our clothes into our mouths. We all went behind a tree to shift and change. Shifting back hurt as well, but not like the first time. 'Each time we do this, it will be easier,' Eliza said. 'After a while, it won't hurt at all.' I returned to the clearing, and my friends and family were already there. They hugged me and gave me a lot of kisses. They were proud of me and happy that I finally had my wolf. Nobody mentioned that I was pure white again, so I just decided to forget about it. It was nothing special. I was nothing special. Luna Gloria left first. We stayed at the clearing for a while, just chatting and laughing. After a few minutes, we started walking back. Jacob walked beside me, and Andrew and Amy were in front of us. "So, we are not mates," he said with sadness in his voice. "I guess not," I responded, not looking up at him. "That doesn't mean we can't be," he said. "I would choose you as my mate. I love you, Emma." I looked up at him, surprised. But before I could say anything, my brother interfered. "Jacob, no," he said strictly. "At least not yet. I know you love my sister, but she is only 18, and there is a chance she will meet her true mate. If she doesn't in a few years, and if you don't find your mate by then, you can make her your chosen mate. If she wants to get a chosen mate. But not before she has had a chance to find her true mate." I looked between Andrew and Jacob. Jacob wanted to fight, but he knew my brother was right. I loved Jake, but I deserved a chance to find my true mate. After a few seconds of Andrew and Jake just glaring at each other, Jacob nodded and lowered his head. "You are right," he said quietly, "but I will wait for her." "I am sorry, Jake," I said and took his hand in mine. "You have nothing to be sorry about," he said and gave me a small smile. Amy was quiet the whole time, but I could tell she was sad. She really had hoped Jake and I would be mates. We continued our walk through the forest, and soon we were back at our house. Jake and Amy bid their goodbyes and went home. Andrew and I went back inside the house, and I looked at my watch. It was 10 p.m. "Hey, do you want to watch another movie? It is not too late," Andrew asked and took off my jacket to put it away. "I would, but I am so tired," I said. He smiled. "Yeah. The first shift does that to you." "I will just go to bed," I said. "Thank you for today. I loved it." "I loved it too, little one," he said with a big smile. "Asher and I love your wolf." "We love you too," I said and smiled. I climbed upstairs, and Andrew went to the living room. I hopped into the shower and put on my pajamas. I got under the covers and closed my eyes immediately. I don't think I had slept for long when I was awoken by a loud knock on our front door.

I looked at my watch and saw that it was 11 p.m. Who was here this late? I removed the covers and went towards my bedroom door. I opened it in time to hear my brother's voice. "Logan?" he said. "What are you doing here?" "Where is she? Where is Emma?" Logan asked nervously. His voice was the most amazing sound I have ever heard. It was like music to my ears. What was wrong with me? It never sounded like that before. It must have been because I was tired. But he sounded cold, rushed. I didn't know why he was asking for me, but I had a feeling that I was in trouble. But I didn't do anything wrong. "Emma?" my brother asked. "She is sleeping. Why?" I could hear surprise and confusion in his voice. I started walking toward the stairs and was instantly hit with the most fantastic smell, pine needles, and snow. It smelled like a winter forest. 'Mate!' Eliza screamed in my head. 'What?!' I asked and froze. 'It is Logan, Emma. He is our mate. Go to him,' Eliza said, excited. Logan? The Alpha? He was my mate? I was a Luna? I had a million questions in my head. My feet started moving against my will. It was like something was pulling me downstairs. Well, not something. The mate bond. "Wake her up," Logan growled. "Now." He sounded mad. Why was he mad? "I am awake," I said and started walking down the stairs. I stopped in the middle to look at Logan. Everything shifted when I looked into his eyes. He was now the center of my world. He was everything. I felt this great need to touch him, to be in his arms. I wanted to run to him, but I stopped myself when I saw how cold his stare was. What was going on? "Logan?" My brother called him. "She is my mate," Logan said through his teeth. My brother gasped and looked up at me. I nodded and looked back at Logan. He was standing there looking at me with a cold expression on his face. His fists were clenched, and his posture was rigid. He didn't want me. That's why he was so angry. I was not good enough to be his Luna. "Emma," Andrew called my name, "go to your room. Now." He must have seen how angry Logan was and wanted to talk to him about this. I turned away and walked back upstairs. But there was no way I was going back into my room. I wanted to hear what Logan would say. I had a feeling I knew, though. I heard them walking to the kitchen, and I sat at the top of the stairs. I would be able to hear them talk, and hopefully, they would be focused on their conversation and unable to hear or sense me. I just had to be very quiet. I hugged my knees and waited. "Talk," my brother said coldly. "How did you know before you even saw her?" "I don't know," Logan sighed. "I could sense and smell her. It happened about an hour ago. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but then I decided to follow that smell. I knew for sure when I came closer to your house. Leon started going crazy." "That is weird," my brother said. "Mates usually know when they see each other. They can't sense it before." "I know. But I did," Logan growled. My brother sighed. "Why are you angry?" "She can't be my Luna, Andrew," Logan said. My heart broke. I hugged my knees even tighter. I felt warm tears running down my cheeks. Nothing hurts like your mate's rejection. "What? Why?" my brother asked angrily. "She is a child," Logan said. "She is not strong enough to be Luna. I need someone stronger." "You are kidding me, right?" my brother yelled. "You are going to throw away Goddess' gift because you don't think she is strong enough?!" "It is for the pack," Logan said calmly. "You know our pack needs strong leadership. Especially now that rogues are attacking even more frequently." "Alpha is always stronger when he has his Luna by his side," my brother growled. "He is. And I will have my Luna,” Logan said. "I am thinking about taking Sienna as my chosen mate." My heart stopped beating. He was choosing another she-wolf instead of me. And not just any wolf. Sienna. She wanted to get rid of me. And she will. She will become a Luna, and she will exile me from my pack. Maybe she would kill me when she discovered I was Logan's true mate. "Why didn't you already do that if you think she will be a great Luna?" my brother asked angrily. "I wanted to wait for my true mate," Logan answered. "To see if I was gifted with a strong, she-wolf. But now that I see that is not the case, I can freely choose somebody else." "I can't believe this," my brother said quietly. "You know I am right, Andrew," Logan said. "You know that you, me, and Sienna will be great leaders, and the pack will benefit greatly from our leadership. We can't do that with your sister. She is only 18." My brother said nothing, and I think he agreed with Logan. He thought that I wasn’t strong. I didn't think my heart could break even more. I've heard enough. I got up and walked to my room. My heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces. I didn't think that I would ever be able to put it back together. And he hasn't officially rejected me yet. I didn't know how I would survive when he did. Mates could reject each other. It didn't break the bond, though. Nothing did. It was only words. But it let you know that your mate didn't want you, which was horrible. The bond was alive, but you couldn't do anything about it. Being exiled by Sienna and becoming a rogue suddenly didn't sound so bad. It was better than staying here, watching them together. It would kill me slowly. 'Eliza?' I called my wolf. 'Are you okay?' 'No, Emma,' She whined, 'I am in pain.' 'I know,' I said. 'I am sorry.' 'His wolf wants us,' She whined. 'Leon wants us. It is Logan who is fighting the bond.' I didn't respond, and I felt her going further back in my mind. I didn't think I would hear from her again tonight. She needed to heal. I couldn't stay here. I couldn't see my brother. I couldn't see him. I quickly put on my tights, a hoodie, and sneakers. I grabbed a jacket from my wardrobe and opened my window. My room was on the second floor, but there was a roof just underneath it. I always sneaked out this way when my brother forbade me from going out with Amy. He never caught me. I hoped that tonight would be the same. I carefully climbed out onto the roof and made my way down. I had to be really careful not to make any noise. I was in a house with an Alpha and a Beta werewolf. Their hearing is even better than other werewolves'. I just hoped they were still talking and focused on their conversation. I climbed down and started walking toward the forest. There was a cave nearby where Amy, Jake, and I always went to hang out when we wanted to be alone. I needed to go there and think.

Logan's POV I wanted to reject her on the spot. But when I saw her standing there on the stairs, I couldn't do it. I couldn't say those words. I saw that she was happy when she looked at me. She wanted to come to me. But she saw my cold stare and stopped herself. Goddess, she was beautiful. I always thought that she was pretty and hot, but now that she was my mate, she was even more beautiful than before. She smelled like strawberries and watermelon. Her long brown hair fell freely down her back, and her blue eyes were an ocean I wanted to swim in. Her lips were perfect. Her tiny body was perfect. Every curve was made for me. I just wanted to touch her. I clenched my fists to stop myself. I shut Leon out entirely because he would kill me for what I was about to do. He was so happy when we smelled her. I don't want him to see this. I will deal with him later. I was relieved when Andrew told her to go upstairs. I would be able to think clearly now that she wasn’t here. I could tell Andrew was not happy with my explanation. But he knew that I was right. He knew that the pack always came first. And his sister was still a child. She just shifted today. She couldn't control her wolf correctly or fight in her wolf form. The rogues would use her against me, and that would ruin the pack. I needed a strong Luna. Sienna would be a great Luna. She was strong and kind. Our pack would benefit from having her as a Luna. "Andrew," I called him after he didn't respond. "Fuck," he muttered. "You are right. Sienna is strong, and she would be a great Luna. But that doesn't mean my sister couldn't get stronger." "It doesn't," I agreed. "But we don't have the time to train her, to make her stronger. Rogues would use her as a liability against me, and the pack would suffer. You know I am right." He nodded and ran his hand through his hair. "Do you want to tell her now?" he asked me. I nodded. "Yes. It doesn't make sense to wait." "Fine," he said. "I will go get her." I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I couldn't get distracted by the bond. I couldn't get distracted by her. I needed to do this for my father and my pack. It wouldn't sever the bond. Nothing did. I would still feel her, she would still be my mate, but I would be free to make Sienna my Luna. "Fuck!" I heard Andrew yell, and I immediately ran upstairs. Her smell was so intoxicating up here. I couldn't help but breathe it in deeply. "What happened?" I asked Andrew. He came out of her room, but she wasn't with him. "She has left," he growled. I froze, and my heart started beating painfully. She left. She probably heard us and left. What if something happened to her? I couldn't let that happen. I couldn't live without her. 'Leon?' I called my wolf. 'Can you feel our mate's wolf? Is she okay?' 'No,' He growled at me. 'Her wolf is in pain. She retracted far back in mate's mind. I can't feel her.' Fuck. 'You are a complete fucker, Logan,' Leon growled. 'Mate is perfect and strong. You will be sorry for what you did.' I didn't respond, and I pushed him to the back of my mind. I didn't need that now. He was an animal. He reacted purely on instinct. And his instinct was to get his mate. I had to be the one to reason and think about our pack. Andrew ran past me and went downstairs. He grabbed his jacket and ran through the front door. I followed him in a daze. "Come on, Logan," he growled. "Follow her scent. Where did she go?" I focused on him and did what he told me to do. Her scent was the strongest underneath her bedroom window, and it continued toward the forest. "Shit," Andrew muttered. We hurried towards the forest, and I told him where to go based on the intensity of her scent. It wasn't hard to follow her, so it couldn't be long since she walked this path. Suddenly, her scent just stopped. I couldn't smell her anymore. It was like she had just disappeared. My heart stopped beating. "What's wrong?" Andrew asked. "I can't smell her anymore," I said quietly. "The smell is completely gone." "Fuck!" he yelled. "She used masking spray." I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself. She is okay. I would have felt if something had happened to her. "Emma?!" Andrew yelled. 'Leon?' I called my wolf. 'I know you are mad at me, but I need you to try and talk to her wolf. Tell her to come back.' 'I will,' He growled. 'But not because of you. I want my mate to be safe.' "Leon will try to talk to her wolf," I told Andrew. "If something happens to her, I will kill you. Alpha or not," he growled at me. He was the only one who could say something like that to me. If he wasn't my best friend, he would be dead already. "She is okay, Andrew," I said, "I would feel if something happened to her." "What if she decided to leave the pack, huh?" he growled. "To become a rogue because she heard her mate, the one person who should love her unconditionally, say that she is not strong enough to be his mate and Luna?!" "I didn't do that. Not yet anyway," a voice said from the forest. Andrew and I turned towards the sound. Emma was leaning against the tree. I let out a breath I had been holding. She was okay. She was wearing tights that let me see her legs perfectly. Her face was even more beautiful than it was back at the house. How is it possible for someone to become even more beautiful in a matter of minutes? I had to use all my strength not to go to her and make her mine. If I was a regular wolf and not an Alpha, I don't think I would be able to do that. Andrew ran towards her and hugged her. I got jealous. I wanted to do that. But I knew I couldn't. I had to be strong. "Goddess, Emma," Andrew yelled. "Don't ever do that again!" She didn't hug him back. She stepped away from him and looked at me. "You are here to reject me, right?" she said quietly. "Come on, do it. Let's get this over with." Andrew and I shared a confused look. How is she so calm? So… strong? I looked back at her, and she was staring at me with her head held high. I took a deep breath and walked closer to her. "You know why I have to do this." "I do," she nodded. "I heard everything." I nodded and ran my hand through my hair. Every part of me was screaming at me not to do this. Leon clawed his way to the front of my mind to see his mate, and he was growling and whining. I didn't want to do this. I wanted her. But I had to for my pack. I took a deep breath and looked directly into her beautiful eyes. "I, Logan Carter, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, reject you, Emma Parker of the Crescent Moon Pack." I could feel my heart breaking. Leon was howling inside me, and I could feel his pain. She was looking right at me, and I could see the pain in her eyes, but she refused to show it. Most wolves fall to their knees from the pain. I wanted to fall to my knees and claw at my chest. But she didn't. She was standing there with her head held high. She took a deep breath and closed her beautiful eyes. "I, Emma Parker of the Crescent Moon Pack, accept your rejection." I closed my eyes and felt tears running down my cheek. When I opened them, she was gone. The bond was still here. Nothing had changed. I felt the same way toward her. I still wanted her. But I just opened the door for me to mate with another she-wolf.