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Lahat ng Kabanata ng Rejected and Now Craved: Kabanata 1 - Kabanata 10

10 Kabanata

Chapter 1

I was flung aside by Ethan Gray's overwhelming presence. My back slammed straight into the altar, and a dull pain spread through me. Yet, he walked away without so much as a backward glance. All around me, the werewolves began whispering among themselves. This was the 19th time Ethan had abandoned me. Without waiting or shedding a single tear, I turned and walked straight toward the exit of the sacred grounds. "Our future Luna Selena," a pack elder called after me. "Won't you continue the bonding ceremony?"I kept walking, my voice cold as I answered, "No."At that moment, my communication stone began vibrating violently, and Ethan's name flashed across the screen. I accepted the call but said nothing. From the other end came Ethan's ragged breathing, with the wind rustling through the trees. "I'm sorry, Selena. Chloe is Layla's only family. I have to make sure she's safe!"His voice was tight with urgency as he spoke. Three years earlier, Layla Hale died in an acciden

Chapter 2

Early the next morning, Ethan appeared at the entrance of the healing sanctuary with freshly hunted venison. His hair was disheveled, and there were dark circles beneath his eyes. It was as though he hadn't slept all night. "Selena, Chloe recorded that video without anyone knowing. She claimed she only wanted to document it. I've already made her delete it," he said as he held out the venison. He added, "She was badly shaken yesterday. She's not in a stable state of mind.""So, you stayed with her all night to comfort her?" I countered. Ethan froze for a beat. Just as he was about to explain, I cut in, "Ethan, now that the bonding ceremony has been called off, the elders and the pack members will be expecting an explanation."He fell silent. A moment later, he said firmly, "Once things settle down, I'll hold an even grander ceremony for you.""Again?"I looked at him and almost laughed. "Another performance, then? Running from the ceremony so you can play the hero and save

Chapter 3

After the blood pact was sealed, Ethan and I stopped speaking to each other.The wolf-mending ritual was scheduled for three days later. For three days, I shut myself away in the meditation room, preparing myself for what was coming. Soul intervention was risky. One wrong move, and it could backfire on me.…On the day of the ritual, Ethan stood guard outside the altar.Clad in a white ceremonial robe, I stepped into the ritual circle, where lunar energy pulsed around me. Chloe lay at the center. When she saw me, her lips curled into a smug smile. I ignored her and guided the lunar energy with practiced ease, letting it condense into fine threads in my hands. But the process was far more difficult than I had anticipated. Chloe's wolf was like a balloon full of holes, and no ordinary mending could fix it. Six hours passed. By then, my hands felt as though they were being torn apart. The pain was unbearable. Then, at the final step, something went wrong. Chloe's wolf su

Chapter 4

I didn't return to the healing sanctuary. After all, there was no place for me there anymore. Instead, I dragged my battered body toward the gray fringe at the edge of the pack's territory. It was the pack's place of exile. It was home to criminals, the deranged, and dangerous werewolves who practiced forbidden techniques—all cast out by the pack. I had never dared to come near this place before. But now, I felt like I was one of them. I walked for what felt like forever until my vision went dark. In the end, I couldn't hold on any longer and collapsed into a pile of dried leaves. Through the haze of my consciousness, I thought I saw a pair of worn leather boots stop in front of me. A beat later, a raspy, weathered voice rang out. "Well, well. Isn't this the Moonstone pack's future Luna? What happened? You're reduced to this because you were played for a fool by Alpha Ethan's lover?"…When I came to, I was lying in a rundown wooden cabin. Meanwhile, an old werewolf wit

Chapter 5

I stayed in the pack's place of exile, and Kyle became my new mentor. What he taught was nothing like what Silas had taught before. It wasn't about using essence to heal. Instead, it was about learning to grow still and sensing the unseen connections that bind all things. Kyle called it the way of balance. Every day, I sat quietly in the forest, learning to feel the pulse of life in every blade of grass and every tree. At first, I felt nothing. My body was like an empty vessel, utterly unresponsive to the flow of energy around me. But Kyle was patient. "Don't rush it, Selena. Your soul may be shattered, but that's exactly why they're so sensitive now. Stop trying to force yourself to see. Learn to listen with your heart."…A month later, Ethan finally remembered me, the mate-to-be he had abandoned. He sent guards to the healing sanctuary to look for me, only to be told that I had left a month ago. That was when panic set in. Ethan mobilized border patrol, ordering th

Chapter 6

Ethan panicked and carried the single drop of my essence to the Council of Elders. The moment the elders saw it, every one of them was stunned. "I-Is this the essence of a spiritual healer? Ethan Gray! What have you done to Selena?" the First Elder shot to his feet, his commanding presence pressing down on Ethan. Ethan's face went pale under the crushing weight. At last, he could no longer endure it. He sank to his knees and confessed everything. He told them how he had abandoned me during the bonding ceremony because of Chloe, forced me into a soul-intervention ritual, and coerced me into surrendering my essence.In an instant, the council chamber fell into a deathly silence."You bastard!"The First Elder trembled with rage, smashing the stone table beside him with a single blow. "You forced the finest spiritual healer our pack has ever known, our future Luna, to sacrifice herself, all for a worthless she-wolf! You have shaken the very foundations of our pack!""Guards!"

Chapter 7

Ethan stared at me in disbelief. "Y-You know something, don't you?""This has nothing to do with you," I said calmly."Selena Thorne! I'm ordering you to tell me!"He instinctively invoked his Alpha authority, but I looked at him as if he were an idiot. "Your orders don't work on me."With Kyle's help, I had already severed my mind-link with the pack. Now, I answered only to myself. "You!"Ethan was seething with rage, yet utterly powerless. Just then, Kyle stepped out of the cabin."Kyle?"When Ethan recognized him, shock and fury crossed his features. "You! An exiled traitor! You're the one turning her against me!"Kyle let out a scoff. "I only helped her to see the truth. Unlike you, using love as a cover while deceiving her every step of the way."Ethan looked as though he had just heard a joke. "Truth? What truth?"I looked at him and realized the time had come. I closed my eyes before pressing a fragment of memory into Ethan's mind. It was a piece I had torn direc

Chapter 8

I walked ahead, while Ethan trailed behind me, moving like a shadow of himself. Before long, we arrived at the heart of the pack. Every werewolf who saw me instinctively stepped aside, their eyes filled with awe and fear.My destination was clear—the house that should have been mine. At that moment, the place was surrounded by members of the Council of Elders. From inside, Chloe's piercing screams rang out without pause.I pushed the door open and saw her curled on the bed, her skin wrinkled and mottled. Her once-beautiful face was now twisted into something grotesque and terrifying. The moment Chloe saw me, her eyes blazed with resentment. "It was you! You monster! You did this to me!"I ignored her screams and calmly turned to the First Elder, saying, "The Moon Goddess' gifts were never meant for corrupted souls. Her state today is the result of her own greed and cruelty. She has brought this upon herself."The First Elder looked at me, conflict flickering in his eyes. In t

Chapter 9

"Start over?" I repeated the words softly, letting them sink in. "Ethan, stop fooling yourself. Since it's over, I should go."My voice remained calm, yet it only made Ethan tremble harder. "I-I'm sorry… I'm sorry."Those were the only words he could say. A moment later, he added, "I'll spend my whole life making it up to you. Selena, please… just give me one more chance.""Your whole life?" I chuckled. "Ethan, your life is worthless. You don't have the right to make it up to me."Just then, the First Elder stepped forward. He wore a grim expression and declared, "Ethan Gray, by unanimous decision of the Council of Elders, you are found guilty of grave misjudgment and abuse of authority, nearly bringing catastrophe upon the pack."Your crimes are unforgivable. Effective immediately, your Alpha title is stripped from you. You are reduced to a common guard, and you will be confined to Penitent Cliff for the rest of your life."At that, Ethan collapsed to the ground, his gaze em

Chapter 10

After that, I returned to the land of exile. Among the pack, the rumors about me had already become legend. Some said I was dead, while others claimed that I had let love turn to hatred, and in doing so, I had fallen into darkness.When we met again, the First Elder looked at me with a mixture of awe and something complicated. "Selena, the pack's greatest loss was losing you," he began. "Your essence may be gone, but if you're willing to return, the position of Luna can still be yours."I shook my head and glanced at Kyle before replying, "I've found a new path."Then, I explained everything I had learned from Kyle about the way of balance. It was a way to heal that didn't rely on essence, but on sensing and balancing the life that flows through everything.The First Elder was stunned. "T-This is the beginning of an entirely new field!""Yes," I replied calmly. "Essence is a gift from the Moon Goddess. It's a shortcut, but not the only path. I want to prove that even without s

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