CHAPTER : I DON'T WANT TO BE YOUR LUNA

The moment the glowing light that had connected their hands disappeared, Alpha Austin remained frozen, his chest rising and falling in shock. His wolf was growling lowly inside him, pacing like a caged beast.

He stared at his hand. Then at Rosemary.

"My... mate?" he whispered to himself, his lips parting in disbelief. His eyes, wide with confusion, blinked rapidly as if trying to wake up from a dream.

Rosemary was still trembling on the ground. She slowly lifted her eyes to him, then looked down at her hand—the same hand that had touched his.

She whispered to herself, "That tingling... what was that?"

Austin dropped to his knees beside her again and reached out, trying to hold her hand once more. But the moon had moved behind the clouds. Its glow was gone.

This time, nothing happened.

No spark. No flash. No bond.

Just silence.

Austin's expression twisted into disappointment. He grabbed her hand roughly, trying again. But there was still nothing.

Frustrated, he snapped, "What was that?!"

Rosemary blinked at him in confusion. “What are you talking about?”

He stood, still holding her hand but shaking it as if trying to force a reaction. “Are you faking a bond?! Is that what this is? Just to be my Luna?”

Rosemary's eyes widened. “What bond? I don’t even know what you're talking about! And why would I want to be your Luna?! You’re the last person I would ever bond with!”

She pushed his hand away.

“I never wanted anything from you,” she added quietly. “Nothing.”

Austin’s jaw clenched.

“Fine.” His voice was cold now. Harsh. Sharp like broken glass. He stood up from his knees. “Then I’ll leave you here. Just like you wanted.”

He turned and stormed off, his body shaking with rage and confusion.

Behind him, Rosemary tried to move. Her body was sore, weak, and bruised from the attack. She struggled to sit up, crying softly as she reached for the jacket he had left around her.

She couldn’t move.

Her voice cracked as she whispered, “Help… please…”

She didn’t expect him to come back.

But he had stopped walking.

Austin stood still, listening.

And then he heard her again.

Crying. Struggling.

His hands curled into fists. His wolf growled.

“You humans are so damn fragile,” he muttered under his breath.

He turned back and walked straight to her.

Without saying another word, he bent down, scooped her up in his arms like she weighed nothing, and began carrying her back through the garden.

They reached his home. The guards looked shocked to see their Alpha holding the broken, bleeding human girl in his arms. But one look from Austin silenced them.

He didn’t take her to the healer’s wing.

He took her to his room.

Laid her carefully on the bed.

She looked up at him through swollen eyes, whispering, “what the hell was that?” I can walk.

Chapter: Something Unspoken

The moment Austin laid Rosemary gently on the bed, she pushed at his chest with what little strength she had left.

“What the hell was that?” she snapped. “I can walk!”

Austin arched an eyebrow and loosened his tie. “Yeah?” he said dryly. “And you’d be crawling by morning.”

He bent over her. She froze.

“What… what are you doing?” she asked, her breath catching in her throat. His face was inches from hers. Their mouths were so close—so close it made her heart skip.

Just when it looked like he might kiss her, he reached past her and grabbed the small jar of ointment from the bedside table.

He raised it with a smirk. “Relax. I’m just trying to clean your wound.”

Rosemary blinked, then let out a small nervous laugh. “I thought…”

Austin tilted his head. “You thought what?”

She looked away quickly. “Nothing. It’s nothing. I’m fine.”

He frowned. “Being strong doesn’t mean you have to be reckless.”

He dipped a cloth into a bowl of water and gently dabbed the wound on her shoulder. Rosemary winced but didn’t pull away. His touch was softer than she expected—gentle, almost careful.

“This should help prevent infection,” he murmured, “and speed up the healing.”

Rosemary stared at him as he worked, his brows furrowed in concentration. A strange warmth spread in her chest.

“He’s actually kind of handsome when he’s not being annoying,” she thought to herself.

Maybe he wasn’t as terrible as she had assumed.

She flinched suddenly as a jolt of pain ran through her arm.

Austin stopped immediately. “Did I hurt you?”

“No. No, it’s fine,” she said quickly. “I just don’t need that much treatment.”

He gave her a look. “Well, just keep it dry, and it should heal up nicely.”

She nodded softly. “Thank you.”

Their eyes met and held. Neither moved. The air felt thick. Unspoken things passed between them—confusion, curiosity… something else.

His voice was lower now. Careful.

“Rosemary,” he said, “I’m not trying to argue, but… did you really not feel anything in the garden?”

She stilled.

Images rushed back—his hand in hers, the light, the warmth that spread through her skin. The tingling.

That moment.

She looked into his eyes, something unreadable in her gaze.

“I… I…”

Austin leaned in slightly, his heart pounding, waiting for her answer, his expression soft with hope.

Rosemary looked at him, the light in her eyes dimming.

“No,” she said flatly. “No, I didn’t feel anything. Nothing at all. Why?”

Austin’s expression changed immediately. The small hope in his eyes vanished. His jaw tightened, and he looked away quickly.

Inside, Rosemary’s thoughts ran wild.

“He already has a mate… I can’t fall for him. He doesn’t need to know what I’m feeling. I’ll just be another mistake to him.”

Austin forced a small chuckle, but it didn’t reach his eyes.

“It’s nothing,” he muttered. “I must just be exhausted.”

But in his mind, he was spiraling.

“There’s no way… no way I could have a bond with a human. That’s not how it works. It doesn’t make sense.”

He stood up and adjusted his jacket.

“Well,” he said, his tone cold now, distant. “You seem more than capable of taking care of yourself.”

He placed the ointment by her side and grabbed his jacket without looking at her.

“Try to get some rest.”

And just like that, he left the room. The door clicked softly behind him.

Rosemary blinked, stunned.

“That’s it?” she whispered. She stared at the ointment, her hand trembling slightly. “For a second… I almost thought he was being nice.”

She swallowed the lump in her throat and forced a dry laugh.

“Stupid me.”

She turned to the side, trying to ignore the ache—not just in her body, but in her chest.

The next morning, the sun poured in through the windows of the packhouse. Birds chirped in the distance, and the air smelled fresh with dew.

Rosemary stepped out of her room wearing simple jeans and a light blouse. Her hair was tied in a loose ponytail, and despite the bruises on her arms, she walked with quiet confidence.

She paused when she saw Alpha Austin sitting alone at the long dining table, sipping his tea with one hand, flipping through a document with the other.

She hesitated for a second before saying, "Morning."

Austin looked up at her. There was a strange softness in his eyes before it disappeared again.

"Morning," he replied, his voice low. Then, after a pause, he added, "Do you want some tea?"

She nodded. "Yes, please."

He stood up, walked over to the teapot, and began pouring it into a cup for her. As he handed it over, Rosemary spoke.

"So... I’m stepping out for a while. I thought I should give you a heads-up."

Austin’s hand froze mid-air. He turned his head slowly. "What?" he said sharply.

Then he stood up so quickly, the tea cup tipped, and hot tea spilled down the front of his trousers.

"Alpha!" Rosemary gasped. "Oh my God, I’m so sorry!"

He groaned and quickly grabbed the nearest towel, patting down the wet fabric.

"It’s fine," he muttered, wincing from the heat. "You’re leaving the pack?"

Rosemary, already holding a clean napkin, stepped toward him and began dabbing gently at his soaked trousers. She said calmly, "I’ll be out for a while. Probably won’t get home till later."

He stared at her, not even noticing her hand brushing against him anymore. His eyes were fixed on her face—how close she was, how warm her touch felt, how she didn’t flinch at being near him.

He placed his hand on hers to stop her from cleaning. She looked up at him.

Their eyes locked.

There was tension again. Silent, deep, and dangerous.

Then—

“Oh! Sorry to interrupt!”

They turned immediately.

Beta Alex stood in the doorway, a tray in his hand and a smirk growing on his lips.

He quickly turned his back.

“Didn’t see anything,” he said casually, walking off with a shrug.

In his head, he muttered, “Seriously? In the dining room?”

Austin pulled his hand away quickly.

“Nothing happened,” he said too fast, too loud.

Alex stood there with his arms folded, watching Rosemary dash off like a startled deer. The moment the door clicked shut behind her, the amused smirk vanished from his face.

Austin dropped the towel on the table and looked at Alex seriously.

"Alright, what's up?" he asked, his voice low and sharp.

Alex’s eyes shifted toward the hallway, making sure Rosemary was gone.

Then he leaned in, dropping his voice even lower.

"We got the results on why you can’t mark Ariana yet..."

Austin narrowed his eyes.

"Yeah? And?"

Alex hesitated, lips tightening. He looked uneasy, like whatever he was about to say could burn everything down.