All Chapters of Rejected for a Fake Luna: Chapter 71 - Chapter 80

Rhea’s POVNone of us spoke as Koen led Sandra and me through the upper floor of the manor.The silence between us felt heavier than it had downstairs.Koen walked a few steps ahead, his shoulders tense despite the calmness he tried to carry. Sandra and I followed behind him with our belongings in hand, neither of us saying anything to give Koen the space that he needs. Eventually, Koen stopped in front of one of the doors and pushed it open. “This is the guest room.”Sandra stepped inside first, and I followed.The guest room was spacious enough for the two of us without feeling excessive. Two separate beds stood on opposite sides of the room, each neatly made with pale sheets and thick blankets folded across the foot. A small nightstand stood beside each bed, while a wide cabinet occupied one side of the wall.Across from it was another door.I opened it briefly and found a private bathroom inside, complete with a shower, sink, and a large mirror above the counter.It was far more

Rhea’s POVKoen stood before the door without moving.For someone who had walked back into Drakhar knowing full well that half the Pack might resent his return, he suddenly looked strangely uncertain.His hand lifted toward the door, but his knuckles never touched it.I watched him hesitate. “Koen.”He glanced at me and I gave him a small nod.For a moment, he said nothing. Then he drew in a slow breath and finally knocked. Once. Twice.Koen’s jaw tightened as the silence stretched longer.I wondered if he was already beginning to regret coming here when footsteps finally sounded from the other side.The door opened and an older woman appeared.Her silver-streaked hair was pulled loosely behind her head, and faint lines framed her eyes and mouth. She looked at me first, confusion crossing her face at the sight of a stranger standing outside her room.Then her gaze shifted beside me and landed on Koen. She froze as recognition flashed her features. Her hand remained wrapped around the

Rhea’s POVMy chest tightened. Forever suddenly felt like a dangerous word.Marielle’s words followed me long after we left her. I tried not to think too much about them as Koen and I walked side by side toward the dining hall, but my mind refused to stay quiet.I couldn’t stop thinking about Koen’s mate. Whoever she was, she would be very lucky.Koen is patient in ways most people never notice. He listens, even when he disagrees. He remembers the smallest things people tell him, and somehow, he always seems to know when something is wrong before anyone has to say it.He is protective without making me feel weak. Kind without expecting anything in return.And beneath all the confidence he carries as an Alpha, there is a gentleness he rarely allows anyone to see. I see it.In the way he stays beside me when I need him. In the way he never makes me feel like a burden. In the way he trusts me with pieces of himself he keeps hidden from almost everyone else.Whoever becomes his mate will

Rhea’s POVMy breathing slowly began to settle as Koen’s hand remained over mine. For a moment, I could barely hear anything else.The warmth of his palm seeped into my skin, steady and reassuring, and somehow that simple touch affected me more than it should have.For so long, Koen had been the one stepping between me and everything that threatened me. The one speaking when I couldn’t. The one standing beside me when everyone else had turned away.But this time, it is my turn to defend him.A strange awareness prickled over my skin as I sensed someone staring at us. When I lifted my gaze, I found Luna Danika looking directly at our joined hands.My heart gave an uneasy beat.I had reached for Koen without thinking, but beneath her stare, I suddenly became painfully aware of how intimate the gesture must have looked.We weren’t mates. We weren’t even courting.And with all the rumors already surrounding Koen supposedly taking me from Valcrest, the sight of us holding hands probably di

Rhea’s POVMy palm struck his cheek with a sharp crack.Artavius’s head snapped to the side from the impact, his lips parting slightly as he stood frozen, seemingly unable to process that I had actually slapped him.I lowered my hand, my chest still rising and falling with fury.I had told him to stop more times than I could count, but he refused to listen.Finally, he did. Apparently, all he needs was a slap to knock some sense into him.“Are you done now?” I asked, letting my hand fall to my side as a sharp sting spread across my palm.Artavius slowly turned his face back toward me. I expected anger. Instead, there was hurt.He looked strangely lost, almost wounded. Whatever had struck him deepest, it wasn’t the sting on his cheek. Maybe it was the realization that I had actually raised a hand against him.Once, the thought of hurting Artavius would have destroyed me. Now, I didn’t regret it at all.I curled my aching fingers into my palm.“I just want to make this clear to you, Art