The Rejected Luna Rises novel
I blinked at the ceiling, unfamiliar and sterile. My hands moved instinctively to my belly, the place where life had once stirred. Now, there was only stillness.
Daniel sat beside the bed. His golden eyes flickered as he noticed the movement. Calm, collected, he reached for my hand and signed gently, Maurice the baby didnt survive.
His voice, though soft, echoed too clearly in my mind. I heard every word. It was strange still, being able to hear after so many years of silence. I shouldve cherished this miracle. But now it felt like a cursebecause it let me hear the lies too.
I didnt react. My gaze drifted to the window instead, to the pale sky beyond. No tears came. My heart was too hollow to cry.
Daniel gave me a practiced smile. You should return to your family for a while. The change might help.
I nodded, just once. Enough to ease his suspicions.
But the truth was already set in stone.
Yesterday, everything changed.
---
The morning before the fall, I had rushed to find Daniel, my heart bursting with joy. For the first time in years, I could hear again. I was whole.
I wanted to tell him everythingto hear his voice, to experience our love in a way I never could before.
I followed the sound of his voice down the hall, a voice I once only imagined. But as I neared the closed room, his words turned from sweet to sinister.
Shes pregnant again, Daniel said flatly. Thats why Ive added more of the herb. This one wont last either.
A second voice answeredone that turned my stomach to stone.
My fathers.
Good. Helen is stable now. Shell need everything we can give her.
We only need one heir, he added with a laugh. And it certainly wont come from that broken girl.
I didnt feel the tears until they fell. My knees weakened, and I clung to the wall to stay upright.
The door creaked open. Daniel stepped out. For a second, shock passed over his face, but it vanished quickly. His smile returned, calm and comforting.
Maurice, he signed. Are you okay?
I gave him a gentle, clueless smile and nodded. No sign that Id heard a thing. No sign of the storm brewing inside me.
My father passed behind him, eyes sharp beneath his warm smile.
You should lie down, my dear, he said in a tone coated with false concern.
I nodded again, my mouth dry.
Back at the packhouse, Daniel tried to pretend nothing had happened. He poured me a drink in the kitchenhis usual blend of tea and something darker. Something bitter. I had trusted it before. But now
Now I knew what it was.
He handed it to me, smiling gently. Drink, he said. His voice was soft, coaxing.
I took the cup, lifted it to my lips, then paused. I shook my head with a smile, gesturing that the scent made me feel sick.
Maurice he signed again. You need to.
I knocked the cup from his hands.
It hit the floor and shattered.
A beat of silence. Then another.
His eyes darkened, the warmth gone. He stepped forward, looming. My instincts screamed to run, but I froze, calculating.
Then I stepped backwardand there was nothing.
I fell hard, the lower level of the house catching me in a cruel embrace. Pain bloomed instantly through my body. My stomach convulsed. Warmth spread beneath mehot, wet, metallic.
I screamed. But only in my mind.
The world tilted as my vision blurred. The scent of blood overwhelmed everything.
Not again. Not this one.
And then the darkness pulled me under.
---
Now, awake and broken, I could see clearly.
Daniels lies. My fathers betrayal. The quiet role Helen had played, innocent to all, or perhaps not.
But I wouldnt give them what they wanted.
Let them think I was weak. Let them believe the herbs had broken my body.
Tomorrow, I would leave.
And when I returned, I wouldnt come back as their pawn.
I would return as the storm.
The pack house stood like a monument of cold authority, cloaked by the dense forest around it. Daniel led the way, his steps brisk and unyielding, while I trailed behind, a silent shadow with a smile carefully painted on my face. Every step echoed louder than the last in my chest, where dread had made a home.
We entered through the front doors, and the grandeur of the Amethyst estate greeted us. The long dining table, laden with ornate dishes and flickering candlelight, gleamed in the center of the hall. Voices buzzed with laughter and casual chatteruntil I arrived. Silence dropped like a curtain, brief and cutting. Then came the glancessome filled with poorly concealed amusement, others oozing disdain.
At the head of the table, my father raised his glass in a welcoming gesture, the curve of his mouth tight and practiced. I nodded politely, slipping into the seat beside Daniel.
Then I saw her.
Helen.
Glowing with smug satisfaction, her hands resting delicately on the roundness of her belly, now prominently showing. Four months along, and not missing a chance to flaunt it.
Oh, Maurice, she said, voice soaked in theatrical pity, one hand splayed across her stomach. I cant imagine how painful your recent tragedy must be. Truly heartbreaking.
She didnt mean a word of it. Her eyes gleamed with triumph, and the others followed her lead. Laughter sparked across the table like wildfire. Masked behind false concern, their words dripped venom.
I mirrored their smiles. It had always been like thisthey never cared to learn sign language, never thought it necessary to include me. I used to imitate their expressions to fit in. If only I had learned to read lips sooner, I might have known earlier just how deep the cruelty ran.
No matter.
They didnt know I could hear them now.
And its what? The tenth miscarriage? someone murmured with a laugh. At some point, youd think shed just accept shes not Luna material.
Shes practically barren, another added. Daniel deserves a Luna who can give him heirs. He could fill the den with pups and she wouldnt even notice.
A burst of laughter followed.
Honestly, shes a blessing. No talking back, no noise. Like a pretty decoration. Deaf and docile.
My fork scraped against my plate as I laughed with them. If they noticed the tension in my grip, they didnt mention it.
After a while, I stood from my chair and gestured toward the hallway, pretending I needed to freshen up. Daniel barely glanced my way, too engrossed in his father-in-laws words. Fine. I wanted space.
I walked down the corridor and slipped into the bathroom. The soft lighting gave everything a ghostly glow. I let the water run over my hands, watching droplets slide across my skin, trying to calm my racing thoughts.
Then the door creaked open.
Helen stepped in, closing it behind her. Her lips curled into that smilethe one that always looked too polite to be real.
There you are, she said lightly, as though we were old friends. Youve been so strong through all of this, really. I admire that.
I nodded with the same empty smile Id worn all evening.
But you know, she went on, voice softening, it was always going to end this way. You were never meant to have a place beside Daniel.
She stepped closer, her fingers tracing the curve of her own belly.
I worried, you know? That youd manage to carry a child before I could. But the universe is finally back on track, isnt it?
I kept my expression unchanged, letting her continue.
I struggled, too, she said with a false gentleness. Until someone gave me a solution. A special kind of nourishment. You know what I mean, dont you?
Something twisted deep in my gut. My wolf stirred uneasily, sensing danger.
Helens smile widened.
Strong life force. Vital essence. Thats what they said your pups had. Her voice was sweet, cruelly so. And now? Mine thrives because of you.
The air around me seemed to vanish.
Your losses well, they were tragic. But necessary. You gave me life, Maurice. You should be proud.
She reached out and touched my shoulder, her grip delicate but filled with mockery.
And something inside me shattered.
Not loudly. Not in a scream or a burst of rage. It broke in quiet fury. My wolf, silent for too long, rose from the depths of my soul, her growl vibrating through every vein. The heat behind my eyes threatened to spill over, but I wouldnt give Helen that satisfaction.
I smiled.
Not weakly. Not in surrender.
But with the promise of retribution.
The wolf inside me screamed for blood. Fury throbbed in every nerve, coiled tight and volatile, ready to snap the fragile leash Id kept wound around it for so long. My hands trembled at my sides, fingers twitching with the primal urge to striketo rip out Helens throat and end her cruelty once and for all. But I held back.
Not now.
Not yet.
So instead, I exhaled softly and curled my lips into a small, almost innocent smile. A faint giggle passed my lips, as light as a feather and twice as hollow. I tilted my head in false curiosity, wide-eyed and silent like the naive little fool they all believed me to be. Let her think I still lived in silence. Let her believe I hadnt heard her words.
Helens brow lifted slightly at my reaction, her smirk deepening in smug satisfaction. Honestly, she sighed, shaking her head with exaggerated pity, its almost sad. You really are as dumb as you look, arent you?
She gave her swollen belly another long, deliberate stroke, her fingers moving in slow, theatrical circles. Then, as though bored of the game, she pivoted toward the door, eager to rejoin the othersno doubt planning to slide into the seat beside Daniel like the victor she believed herself to be.
Something in me snapped loose.
My body surged forward before reason could restrain me. My hands shoved her hard, fueled by a rage I could no longer contain.
Helen stumbled back with a startled gasp, her heels slipping on the polished marble. Her body hit the floor with a harsh crack that echoed off the bathroom walls. A shriek followedsharp and piercing like a wounded animal. My breath caught as the sound ricocheted around us, impossibly loud, deafening in its clarity.
I froze. Heart pounding.
Then, I dropped into character.
My eyes widened in mock horror. I slapped a trembling hand to my lips, taking an uncertain step forward as if consumed by remorse. My hand reached out, hesitating in the air while I watched her writhe in exaggerated pain. My gaze darted to the door with feigned confusion, lips parting in silent alarm.
Footsteps thundered down the hallwayfast and many.
The door slammed open.
Gasps filled the air, followed swiftly by a chorus of mutters and murmurs. My father stood among them, his face twisted with fury. I barely had time to process his glare before his hand lashed out, striking me across the cheek with brutal force.
Pain exploded through the side of my face. My skin stung, hot and raw, the impact sending me staggering sideways.
You shameless girl! he bellowed, his voice cold and venomous. What madness possesses you?
I blinked through the haze of pain and humiliation, my cheek pulsing with each frantic beat of my heart. I barely had time to react before Daniel barreled past me, not sparing me even a fraction of attention. His arms swept Helen up from the floor, cradling her like a broken treasure.
Are you alright? he murmured, his voice thick with concern. He scanned her face, his expression unreadable except for the panic lining his eyes.
Helen whimpered softly, clutching her belly with one hand while pressing the other against his chest. My baby she whispered dramatically.
Daniels gaze shot to mine, his eyes burning with fury. If anything happens to this child, he hissedno signing, just low, deliberate wordsyoull answer for it, Maurice. I swear it.
His child.
I froze. My mind whirled.
His child?
The implication struck harder than my fathers slap. I had known she was pregnant, of course. Id seen her flaunt the bump, rub it like a trophy. But I had never imaginednot for one momentthat Daniel was the father.
My mate.
My chest tightened painfully. My thoughts spun out of control, the edges of my vision tunneling as realization settled in like ice water in my veins.
I kept my face blank, allowing only a hint of confusion to play across my features. I glanced around slowly, seeing the packs stares closing in like blades.
Shes completely unhinged, someone muttered near the back.
She tried to harm a child, another added with a sneer. Her Luna title should be stripped.
Shes a threat. Deaf or not.
No wonder the goddess never gave her a child. She wouldve destroyed it too.
The words pierced deep, carving into wounds that had barely begun to scar. I clenched my fists at my sides, willing myself not to flinch. Not to scream. Not to let them see me fall apart.
I turned my eyes to Daniel, desperate for somethinganythingthat might contradict this nightmare. But there was nothing in him for me. No pity, no doubt. Only fury and a wall of protectiveness aimed at someone else.
At her.
His grip on Helen tightened as he turned away, shielding her from me as though I were some cursed thing. Some danger that needed to be kept away from what was his.
Then they left.
Daniel. My father. The entire pack.
One by one, they turned their backs and walked out, their footsteps receding into silence, leaving me surrounded by nothing but the fading echo of their disdain.
And the cold.
The silence roared.
I stood alone, motionless, the weight of their rejection bearing down on me like a landslide. My jaw locked. My fingernails dug into my palms. My lungs refused to draw a full breath.
But beneath the pain, another emotion began to risequiet at first, but steady.
Not sorrow.
Not grief.
Resolve.
It whispered through me like steel in the dark, curling into the places where hope had once lived.
They had humiliated me. Betrayed me. Cast me aside.
But they had no idea what I truly was.
And what I would become.
The house stood before me like a ghosthollow, abandoned, its walls stripped of warmth. Once, it had pulsed with life and hope, built brick by brick from whispered dreams and late-night promises. Now it was just a shell. A place where echoes lived.
I stepped across the threshold, the wooden floor creaking softly beneath my feet. My fingertips brushed along the worn panels of the hallway, tracing grooves and edges I knew by heart. Each step I took stirred memories like dust. This placeour placehad been a sanctuary once. The haven Daniel and I had shaped with trembling hands and quiet laughter. A home meant for more.
I used to imagine the sound of tiny feet on these floors, the lull of laughter in the morning light. I used to picture arms around me, strong and certain, carrying me through every storm. But all of it had been a lie. A sweet, venom-laced illusion.
My footsteps echoed, empty and cold, as I moved through the house like a shadow. In every room, I saw pieces of the life I had once believed was real. The kitchen wed renovated ourselves. The balcony where we watched the stars. The little alcove where I once whispered secrets into Daniels shoulder, believing they were safe with him.
He had been so gentle with me during the miscarriagesholding me, reassuring me with soft words and patient silence. He never flinched at my grief. I thought it meant he loved me deeply, that hed never leave me, that we were unshakable.
I thought wrong.
Everythingthe way he stroked my hair when I cried, the way he held my hand in public to remind the others I was hisit had all been part of the performance. Just another mask in the masquerade he and Helen danced so effortlessly.
All of it wasted.
My throat tightened as I entered our bedroom. The air was still. Too still.
I knelt before the old wooden chest beneath the bed, its hinges stiff with disuse. As I opened it, the scent of cedar and old fabric drifted up. I began to pack, slowly and methodically, folding each piece of clothing with precision, more out of instinct than intention. It was easier to move like this. To do something. To not think.
Then my hand brushed something soft.
I froze.
Fingers trembling, I lifted a tiny, half-finished blanket from the corner of the chest. Its edges were rough, the stitching uneven, the colors faded from time. I had embroidered it myself, during a brief window of joy when I had believedbelievedthat I was finally going to carry our child to term. That this time would be different.
My hands tightened around the fabric, and for a moment, I couldnt breathe.
This blanket was meant to cradle a life that never came to be. Meant to be held by arms that never got to rock their baby to sleep. I had poured hope into each stitch, and now, all it held was grief.
I pressed it gently to my stomach. Empty. Always empty.
The space inside me where life had once stirred was now a hollow void. And deep down, I knew the truth I had refused to accept: I would never feel that flutter again. The soft kick of possibility. The promise of a future. That door had closed forever.
Something in me crumbled, and something else hardened in its place.
No more.
I stood with quiet finality, folding the blanket with reverent care and placing it in my bag. My grief had worn itself thin, and now, beneath its layers, resolve bloomed like frostbite.
I could not stay here. Not in this house soaked in betrayal. Not among those who had turned their backs on me.
As dusk fell, I found myself before the mirror one last time. My reflection stared backtired eyes, tight lips, a woman fractured but not broken. In my hand, I held a small glass vial. The liquid inside shimmered under the soft glow of candlelight.
A scent-erasing serum. Rare and expensive. It severed connectionsnot just physical, but spiritual. With one swallow, I would be cloaked from the senses of every wolf in this pack. I would become untraceable. Unreachable.
Free.
I uncorked the vial and downed it in one gulp. The taste was bitter, the chill immediate. I welcomed it.
Goodbye, Daniel.
Goodbye, father. Pack. Lies.
I slipped into the night, disappearing into the forest like smoke on the wind.
---
Back at the healers quarters, silence blanketed the room. The atmosphere was thick with tension, the kind that pressed against the lungs and made every breath an effort.
Helen lay sprawled across a cot, her hands dramatically cradling her belly as healers moved around her with quiet urgency. Her performance was well-practicedwhimpers, shallow breaths, the occasional flinch. A perfect act.
Only Daniel remained by her side. His arms were crossed over his chest, his face unreadable, though his eyes never strayed far from Helen.
The senior healer, a woman well into her sixties with more wisdom in her gaze than most had in a lifetime, finally spoke as she washed her hands. Its an odd thing, she murmured, more to herself than to anyone else.
Daniels gaze shifted. What do you mean?
She dried her hands on a cloth and turned to face him. Your familys had unfortunate luck. Maurice suffered through illness and loss, yet managed to recover. And now, Helen ends up here, same day. One might say your bloodline is cursed.
Daniel frowned. Recovered from what?
The healer raised a brow. Why, her hearing, of course. She came in yesterday, nearly glowing. Said she could hear for the first time. It was a moment. I assumed shed already told you, since she left before I could send her off with prescriptions.
Daniels blood ran cold. She regained her hearing yesterday?
The woman nodded. A miracle, truly. We thought it might never happen. But now? She should have full restoration within days.
Silence fell like a hammer.
Daniel stood frozen. His mind raced, gears grinding against the weight of the healers words.
Maurice could hear?
His heart stuttered.
If she had regained her hearing yesterday, she had heard everything.
The confrontation.
His words.
His threats.
A sick, dizzying chill washed over him as realization took root. Maurice had heard every cruel word. Every accusation. The betrayal. The rejection.
Helens voice called out behind him, but he barely registered it.
He turned and strode out of the room.
Each step was heavier than the last, his breath quickening as dread sank its claws into him.
He reached their homeher homein minutes. The door hung slightly ajar. His pulse pounded in his ears.
He pushed it open.
Nothing.
The air was still. The scent faint. Barely there.
His chest caved inward.
She was gone.
And this time, she had taken every last piece of herself with her.
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