Cursed Luna, Rejected Mate

y

itself into my breath. Grandmother always burns sage before ceremonies like this. She says it clears the air and rids it of any bad auras. The smoke rises in lazy spir

d sage to know

awake and trembling in the dim light, I can still feel the way his presence swallowed me whole, the heat of his body branding mine. The dream lingers, very vivid and unrelenting in my memory, as tho

e nightmare from my mind. I choose to ignore it, because unlike sweet dreams of my m

ouch him. I know him the w

and detailed in my mind. The bond is growing stronger, I can feel it. It is not just an urge, it is an unrelenting, deep-seated craving in my bones. My wolf is alert and active now,

he will c

rst in sleep. And the moment we cross paths in the waking world, it is undeniable. The scent, the

w he feel

beneath his quiet grief, beneath the burden of his new title. I see the way his jaw tightens when I'm near, the way his hands clench into fists, as t

truly crossed paths, years ag

him. Even then, he was taller than I was, with grey eyes that seemed to pierce right through me. I rocked back, and he caught me, his grip firm around my arms. We just stood and stared

mother, the Luna, both fell in battle. Lugh survived, barely, his body left broken

o heir. No Luna. No

he must cho

s should be a night of certainty, of knowing that the bond I've felt for so lon

doesn't r

an unbreakable bond, undeniable. But what if it isn't good enough? What if the burden

someone who doesn't carry the tai

l. He

h. She stretches both arms above the head, her hair cascading dark like moonlig

m her slumber. She rubs her eyes, squinting at the faint l

ard. "I cou

to her stomach. "It's

, gripping the sh

my shoulders, the way my fingers curl like claws into the fabric. Selene knows me too well to pretend

ing, "What if... what if

s furrow

if it clouds things? What if he

side table. Without a word, she motions for me to turn. I do, and

la," she says, her voice softer n

" I b

so doe

nts, but my mind is still restless. Fear coils

gnize me," I murmur

him. Rejecting a mate, Ayla, is the worst kind of torment. It brings weakness

ething offered to us by the Moon Goddess herself. Rejec

ing like smoke in the

I sit still for a moment, breathing deeply, trying to calm myself

nk of

tighten at his sides, like he's holding himself back. The fi

eat, the pull, the deep ache for him. It's unbeara

els i

has

cent thickens when I pass by. Why, even when he keep

ound me. He was standing at the edge of the clearing, staring right at me. For quite a while, neither of us moved. Then he stepped closer, his eyes never leaving mine. I could feel the spark of ele

e grief of his parents' death, against the burden of

ll take what b

k resounds

at the threshold, enwrapped in the soft glow of candlelight. Her silver hai

ingering on me. "You're aw

A simple meal waits there: bread, dried meat, dark berries. I have no appetite, but I know bet

er sharp eyes scanning my fa

too much, knows too much. Her gaze pierces throug

Then she lifts her chin. "Eat quick

but I remain still. I can feel it, humming in t

llow

ugh choose

, he ch