All Chapters of After the Rejection I Became His Luna: Chapter 1 - Chapter 10

The abandoned cabin at the edge of Shadowpine territory had become our sanctuary. Our secret.I pressed my back against the rough wooden wall as Kaden’s lips traced the curve of my neck, his hands warm against my waist. The mate bond hummed between us, a living thing that made my skin sing everywhere he touched me.“We shouldn’t be here,” I whispered, even as my fingers tangled in his dark hair. “If someone sees us…”“Let them see.” Kaden pulled back just enough to meet my eyes, his amber gaze intense in the moonlight streaming through the broken window. “I’m tired of hiding you, Aria. Tired of pretending you don’t mean everything to me.”My heart stuttered. “You say that now, but your father”“My father doesn’t control my fate. I do.” His thumb brushed across my cheekbone with devastating gentleness. “The Alpha ceremony is in three weeks. Once I take the oath, once I have the power, we can be together openly. No more sneaking around. No more lies.”I wanted to believe him. Goddess, h

Two days later, she arrived.I was scrubbing the grand staircase when the convoy of black SUVs rolled through the gates. The entire pack house erupted into controlled chaos. Servants rushed to prepare the guest wing. The Warriors lined up in a formal reception. Even the air seemed to change, charged with anticipation and tension.“Move, move!” Constance snapped at me. “Get out of sight. Guest quarters need to be immaculate in ten minutes.”I grabbed my bucket and rags, hurrying toward the upper floors. Through the massive windows, I caught glimpses of the arrival below. Alpha Blackthorn emerged first, imposing in a tailored suit. Then her.Seraphina Blackthorn was everything I wasn’t.Tall where I was average. Elegant where I was plain. She wore designer clothes like armour, her platinum blonde hair falling in perfect waves. Even from this distance, I could see the confidence in her posture. The certainty that she belonged.And Kaden was walking down the steps to greet her.I couldn’t

Morning came too soon and with it, my new hell.I reported to Seraphina’s suite at dawn, as instructed. She was already awake, lounging on her balcony in a silk negligee, sipping tea like some kind of goddess surveying her domain.“You’re late,” she said without looking at me.I’d arrived exactly on time, but I knew better than to argue. “My apologies, Miss Blackthorn. It won’t happen again.”“See that it doesn’t.” She finally turned, her violet eyes assessing. “I have a full schedule today. I need to look perfect. Alpha Kaden is giving me a personal tour of the territory.”Of course he was. Playing the dutiful host while his father orchestrated our destruction.“I’ll prepare your clothes, Miss Blackthorn.”The next two hours were an exercise in torture. I helped her bathe, styled her hair, and selected her outfit. A designer dress that probably cost more than I’d earn in five years. She talked the entire time, mostly about Kaden.“He’s more handsome than his photos,” she mused as I f

The forest was darker than I’d imagined. Deeper. Every shadow held potential threats, every sound a possible predator. Maya and I walked for hours, putting as much distance as possible between us and our territory.“We need to stop,” Maya finally said. “You’re exhausted.”I was beyond exhausted. The bond severance had drained me physically and emotionally. My legs trembled with each step. But stopping meant thinking, and thinking meant feeling, and feeling meant breaking completely.“Just a little further,” I insisted.“Aria.” Maya grabbed my arm, forcing me to halt. “You’re bleeding.”I looked down. My feet had torn through my thin shoes, leaving bloody footprints in the dirt. I hadn’t even noticed. The pain in my chest was so overwhelming that physical injuries felt like nothing.“We’ll rest here,” Maya decided, guiding me to a fallen log. “Just for a few hours.”I sank, my body finally giving out. The adrenaline that had kept me moving drained away, leaving only grief. Raw, consumi

Elder Thorne woke me before dawn. The sky was still dark, stars fading as morning approached. My body ached from the rogue attack, but he showed no sympathy.“Training begins now,” he said simply. “Get dressed. Meet me outside in five minutes.”I stumbled out of bed, pulling on the simple clothes he’d left for me. Maya was still asleep in the next room. Part of me envied her.Outside, the air was cold enough to make me shiver. Elder Thorne stood in a clearing behind his cottage, waiting. The trees around us were huge and old, their branches blocking out most of the fading starlight.“First lesson,” he said when I reached him. “Forget everything you think you know about yourself.”“I don’t understand.”“You were raised to believe you’re weak. Small. Powerless. Every day of your life, you were told you didn’t matter.” His voice was hard. “Those lies are poison. They’ve infected every part of you. Before I can teach you to be strong, you have to stop believing you’re weak.”“That’s easie