All Chapters of The Rejected Luna's Second Chance: Chapter 21 - Chapter 30

The word hangs in the mist like a blade.Grandma.Greta goes rigid beside me, and I can feel her shock in the hand I'm holding—her fingers are cold and trembling. She’s staring at the little girl in Esther's arms, taking in the dark hair that matches her own, the face that looks so much like her daughter did at that age.The girl—maybe seven or eight, small for her age—clings to Esther's coat, her eyes fixed on the wolves circling the settlement, on Damian's tense stance, on Maya's raised knife. She's not looking at us. She doesn’t even know we’re here.Esther wears a calm, practiced smile. “You know what will happen if you come any closer.” She gently runs her fingers through the girl’s hair. “isn’t that right, sweetheart. Grandma’s been keeping you safe from those nasty wolves.”The girl nods, burying her face in Esther's coat.Something breaks in Greta. I can feel it—the sound she’s not making, the sob she’s holding back.“Let her go.” Damian’s voice slices through the tension. “Th

The paper doesn't change. I keep staring at it, hoping the letters will somehow shift into something that makes sense.*Samuel Hayes.*My dad. The man who raised me. Who held me when Mom passed away. Who risked everything to help me against Elena. Who stood by my side.Damian's hand covers mine. "Selena.""There's a mistake." My voice feels distant, almost foreign. "It's not him. It just can't be."He stays quiet. Just holds the paper steady so I can take in the rest of the entry.*Samuel Hayes – Contact. Payments via Esther. Information on pack movements. Arranged transport for children. 2009–present.*Present. He's still involved.My world tilts off-balance. I grip Damian's arm to steady myself."Maybe he was forced," Maya suggests, her tone cautious as she stands beside me. "Like Greta. Like Marcus. Elena had leverage over everyone."I want to believe that. I really do.But I can't forget how my father looked when he handed me Mom's bracelet, or how he comforted me when Caden rejec

The car moves through darkness, headlights cutting a narrow path through trees that have stood here for centuries. Marcus sits up front with Damian, giving directions in a low voice. Maya is beside me in the back, her knife already in her hand, her jaw set. Caden rides in the vehicle behind us with Voss and two council wolves.Caden is positioned at the road, keeping watch. We called him after Esther's files turned up Lucas's name. He didn't hesitate—he'd spent months hunting the truth on his own, and when we told him what his brother had done, he asked how he could help. Not as an Alpha. Not as a brother. Just as someone trying to make things right.None of us speak. There's nothing left to say.The road narrows, turns to gravel, then dirt. Marcus points to a clearing ahead. "Pull over here. The lodge is a quarter mile east. We go the rest on foot."Damian kills the lights. The engine dies. Silence rushes in—the kind that presses against your ears, makes every breath sound like thund

Selena's POV~I wake to warmth.Not the cold of the Slivermoon hunting lodge’s floor or the damp of my clothes from last night. Just warmth. Solid. Steady. Damian's arm is wrapped around my waist, his chest pressed against my back, his breath slow and even against my hair. I don't remember falling asleep. I don't remember him pulling me close. But somehow, in the dark, we found each other.The lodge is quiet. Outside, the first gray light of dawn is streaming through the windows. Somewhere nearby, someone is stacking wood, the clink of metal on stone muffled by distance. Maya's voice carries for a second—something sharp, probably telling a warrior to stop standing around. Then silence again.I should move. Should get up, help with the morning meal, check on Greta and the girl, make sure Lucas is still in custody. There's a thousand things to do. But I can't make myself move. Can't make myself leave the circle of his arms."You're thinking too loud." His voice is rough, sleep-thick. Hi

Selena's POV~The tent feels a bit cramped for six people.Voss is seated at the head of a makeshift table, flanked by two council wolves. Damian is directly across from me, his hand resting on my knee under the table, offering some grounding. Maya stands near the entrance, arms crossed, observing the situation."She mentioned that Aldric is alive." Voss gets straight to the point. "We need to know what you know."I pause before responding. My thoughts are still tangled around Maya's message, the mention of Aldric, and everything my father shared with me during that cold confinement."Selena." Damian's voice is gentle. "You don't have to—""She said he was the true prize." I hear my own voice break the silence. "Elena at the lodge. She was about to reveal his name before Caden interrupted her."Voss leans in closer. "What do you know about him?""Nothing." I wrap my arms around myself. "My father claimed Kael was my real father. Aldric's son. That's all I know."The council wolves exc