Semua Bab Alpha's Hidden Luna: Bab 21 - Bab 30

He found someone else.That fast.Lucian, who had pressed her against the wall just hours ago. Who had whispered that his wolf wanted to burn with her. Who had looked at her like she was the only thing keeping him grounded.He had moved on.Was this how Alphas handle rejection? she thought, stomach turning. They just find themselves a girl and fuck the pain away?Rayne’s legs weakened beneath her, and she stumbled back into the shadows before any of them saw her.Her chest burned.Her throat tightened.She didn’t understand what she was feeling.Was it jealousy?Was it betrayal?Was it heartbreak?Or all wrapped into a single, unrelenting knot?She should’ve known better. Lucian wasn’t hers. He’d never been hers.She had rejected him.She came here in disguise to become an Alpha.She could never be his mate.She could never be his Luna.But why did it hurt so much?But why did it feel like something inside her had cracked?Had she really fallen for him?Rayne turned and ran.Back into

The courtyard was already filled with bodies when she arrived. Alphas lined up in tight rows, murmuring softly, tension humming in the air like static before a storm. The Lunarias were gone, but the aftertaste of their presence still clung to the academy walls. Bonds had been made. Lusts had been acted on. Rejections had been handed out like blades.And some of those wounds were still bleeding.Rayne’s eyes scanned the crowd, unwillingly. Lucian was near the front, standing rigid with his arms crossed over his chest, face unreadable. The distance between him and everyone else felt palpable—as if no one dared come too close.And then there was Jace.Laughing.Surrounded by a small group of Alphas who had clearly fared well during the Luna visit. Rayne quickly looked away.A sharp gust of wind whipped across the courtyard, cutting through the murmurs like a blade, and then the space fell into silence as Head Instructor Rhys Calloway stepped forward.He stood at the center of the raised

Rayne's arms ached. Her legs trembled with each step as she pushed through the forest path, Jace’s unconscious weight slung across her shoulders. She had no idea how long she’d been carrying him—minutes? Hours? It all blurred together in a haze of adrenaline and desperation.His blood had stained the front of her shirt. Warm and sticky, seeping through the fabric like guilt itself.“Hang on, Jace,” she murmured through gritted teeth. “We’re almost there. Just a little more.”The edge of the trees gave way to the southern path behind the training hall, and up ahead—blessedly—the spires of the academy came into view. Students moved in clusters across the courtyard, heads turning toward her as the sight of a bloodied Alpha on another’s back shattered the peaceful morning lull.Gasps erupted.Someone shouted.And then they came running.Rayne didn’t have time to explain. Her boots hit the stone steps with a thud, knees buckling beneath Jace’s weight as she finally stumbled forward.“Help

The training fields were quiet. Most of the academy had cleared out in preparation for the Trial—eating, resting, psyching themselves up. But Lucian knew where Valen would be.By the cliffs. The overlook behind the old observatory. The only place one could be completely alone.And sure enough, there Valen was.Rayne stood at the edge of the ledge, eyes cast out toward the endless stretch of trees that would soon become her battleground. Her arms were crossed tightly over her chest, her shoulders hunched against the chill wind.She didn’t turn when he approached.“What do you want, Lucian?.”Lucian stopped beside her, silent for a long beat. Then:“I asked Rhys to let me go with you.”That made her look at him—sharply, searchingly.“You what?”“I told him I wanted to be your partner for the Trial.”Rayne blinked, stunned. “Why would you—?”“Because you’re not ready,” Lucian said, brutally honest. “Not for this. No one is, not alone. But especially not someone who just started new here.

The world returned in fragments.Pain first.Then cold.Then the muffled rush of blood in her ears, louder than any sound around her.Rayne’s eyelashes fluttered, sticky with sweat and grime. The sharp scent of copper filled her nose—blood, thick and metallic—and for a moment, she couldn’t remember where she was. Only that everything hurt. Her side throbbed, her leg felt like it had been caught under a boulder, and her throat was dry and raw.She blinked slowly, vision unfocused.Above her, thick branches spread like skeletal arms, moonlight slipping through like a silver veil. She was lying on something soft—moss, maybe—or a cloak. A rough one. The air was damp, heavy with the aftermath of the Trial’s magic. But it wasn’t the infirmary. This was still the forest.She was still in the forest.Rayne shot upright with a strangled gasp.Or tried to.Agony shot through her torso and she collapsed with a grunt, the pain forcing black spots to dance across her eyes. Her chest ached—bandaged