REJECTED LUNA RETURNS

|DIAN|

I sensed immediately that something wasn’t right the moment I entered the pack house kitchens.

The typical morning commotion had stopped, no banging of pans no familiar quarrels among the chefs no steaming sounds from the ovens. Only. The scent of charred bread and no one hurried to investigate. My mother remained motionless at the counter. Her fingers clutched the stone surface tightly her knuckles change color . Three other kitchen staff gathered close, to the pantry doorway murmuring in the anxious manner wolves behave when frightened but trying to conceal their fear.

"Mom?" I placed my basket filled with picked herbs from the garden. "What’s going on,what happened?"

She glanced back at me. Her eyes were excessively wide her complexion unusually pale. "Dian. You must go. Immediately." She shoved me from behind as if shielding me from some threat that made no sense—I was always here, in the mornings. We followed our routine: I collected herbs she began the bread and we collaborated before the rest of the pack stirred.

"For what reason? What is happening?"

Before she managed to respond loud steps resounded from the hallway. The noise of boots that made you feel arrested without cause. The type that demanded everyone to clear the path.

My mother’s complexion shifted from pale to drained of color her legs shaking.

"Conceal them " she whispered sharply to the employees waving urgently toward something out of my sight, behind them when the kitchen door burst open with a force strong enough to shake the pots hanging on the wall.

Beta Thornridge occupied the entrance, like a colossus.

He is Kaels dad. A huge wolf even when he appears human with grey strands running through his hair and a face that seemed to have lost the ability to smile years ago. His presence caused the spacious kitchen to feel abruptly cramped and suffocating.

Initially he remained silent. His icy eyes scanned the room examining each individual as if seeking the trace of guilt etched on their expressions.

"Where is it?" His tone was soft and measured. That somehow made it feel more intense than if he'd yelled.

No one was able to utter a word. It appeared as though no one was even inhaling at that moment.

The Alphas breakfast was postponed by half an hour. His tea arrived lukewarm." He advanced deeper into the kitchen. "I want an explanation immediately." His tone thundered like a storm.

My mother moved closer. Despite holding her hands in front of her to conceal it I noticed they trembled. "The delivery this morning was overdue Beta Thornridge. We needed to dispatch someone to-"

"I wasn't seeking excuses, Lily." He interrupted her sharply as if her words were meaningless. "I requested a reason, for why my brothers comfort was ignored." You could wet your pants by looking at his expression.

That was the moment I noticed it. What my mother had instructed the others to conceal.

Behind the staff close, to the pantry door a dark fluid was seeping over the stone floor. The broken fragments of a glass jar sparkled in the daylight. The scent reached me a moment later,a foreign tea. The type sourced from three regions over and priced higher than my father earned in a month.

The Alpha's personal tea. And it was all over the floor.

Beta Thornridge was a few steps away, from spotting it maybe four. And once he spotted it someone would be held responsible someone would face consequences.

I didn't consider my action. It wasn't planned I simply acted ,I took my herb basket. Intentionally pushed it off the counter.

The basket fell to the floor with a bang that resonated throughout the kitchen. Dried herbs spilled around spreading across the stone tiles in a swirl of green and brown.

All eyes shifted in my direction. "I apologize " I spoke swiftly falling to my knees and beginning to collect the herbs with trembling hands. "I'm very careless. It wasn't intentional. I'll tidy it up immediately I swear."

Beta Thornridges gaze fixed on me intently like a predator eyeing its target.

His gaze sharpened. "Dian Drake."

I kept my gaze lowered, reaching for herbs that were almost invisible, through my fear. My heart pounded so loudly I was sure everyone could hear it thumping. "Yes Beta."

"Rise." Authoritative tone, firm.

I remained standing on legs that seemed ready to collapse. Every instinct within me urged me to avert my gaze to cast my eyes downward to yield to a wolf superior, in rank to the point where we weren't even comparable.

Still I looked into his eyes. I wasn't sure why. Perhaps it was because I was already caught up in difficulty.

He observed me silently for quite a while. I was unable to discern his thoughts. His expression revealed no clues.

"How old are you currently?" he inquired,. This time, with a deep commanding tone.

The question surprised me unexpectedly. Odd thing to inquire. "Sixteen tomorrow Beta."

A flash passed over his face.. A smile nor a frown. Some expression, in the middle that I couldn’t grasp.

"Sixteen." He spoke as if the number held some significance. "Naturally." He reclined, crossing his arms with an expression.

He glanced back at my mother. Then at the other employees standing and finally at me once more I held my breath.

"Clear this chaos " he commanded, at last. "Every bit of it. Inform your mother that postponements will not be tolerated. The Alphas ease is non-negotiable. Do you get it?" he said, slightly turning his head to glance back before facing once more.

"Yes, Beta."

"Good."

He exited. No one glanced back no one stirred until his footsteps vanished entirely along the hallway. Until we were certain he had truly left.

Then my mother hurried over. Seized my shoulders. "That was foolish and careless and—" Her voice cracked. She drew me into a swift embrace. "Thank you."

"The jar?" she indicated.

"Could have caused Cara to lose her job or something more serious." She. Glanced at me with a mix of pride and apprehension. ". You shouldn't have attracted his notice, like that especially at this moment.

"I'm okay Mom. He only wanted to know my age. That's it.". The worried expression remained on her face. As if she was aware of something I wasn't something that explained why Beta Thornridge was inquiring about my age.

The other employees assisted with tidying both spills. Cara, the one who had spilled the tea kept quietly repeating thank you until I asked her to cease. I exited the kitchen at the opportunity; I required fresh air, needed room to breathe without the sensation of the walls shrinking in.

Tomorrow I will be sixteen. I plan to stand beneath the bright full moon to see if the connection everyone anticipated will truly manifest.

By tomorrow I would find out if Kael Thornridge was truly my mate.

His dad had simply stared at me as if I were an issue he had to fix.

I moved along the pack house hallways with a churning feeling, in my stomach. Around Shadowcrest was coming to life wolves going off to training to work some to breakfast Routine morning activities and existence. Yet nothing seemed normal anymore.

I had just told a falsehood to a Beta. Drew his focus onto me.. The expression, in his eyes when I mentioned sixteen tomorrow...

I went through the doors and moved outside. The morning breeze was chilly which eased my mind slightly; tomorrow everything was bound to shift, for better or worse.

I just had no idea how much worse it could actually get.