Rejected Luna's Redemption

To protect the werewolf realm, the Lycan Queen Daniella was infected by dark magic, her life hanging by a thread. Only my ancestral heirloom, the Crimson Moon Chalice, could save her. But to please a young female wolf, Jensen King had taken the chalice to the human world, just to let the red butterflies within dance for her amusement. The pack members knelt before me, pleading for me to summon him back, but I shook my head in refusal.

In my previous life, I had risked the destruction of my wolf to forcefully retrieve the chalice and bring it back, saving the Lycan Queen. But the young she-wolf, heartbroken, had rushed into rogue territory alone and was tortured to death by the rogues. Jensen claimed he didn’t blame me, but on the day the Lycan Queen emerged from her recovery, he locked me, weakened and vulnerable, in the heart of rogue territory, watching as I was surrounded by vicious rogues, his face twisted with anger.

"Rosalia, if it weren’t for you and the pack conspiring against her, Rayna would never have been so desperate!" he snarled. "You killed her! Now you’ll know what it feels like to be at the mercy of rogues!"

This time, I let him and his precious Rayna have their way, and now he was consumed with regret.

"The Lycan Queen is fading fast. Only the Crimson Moon Chalice can absorb the dark magic. This is urgent—we can’t wait any longer!" The pack’s anxious voices filled the air.

I realized with a start that I had been given a second chance.

Jensen’s cold voice echoed in my mind through the mind-link. "Rosalia, I told you I had important matters to attend to today. Don’t bother me. Do you think I’d believe such a flimsy excuse? You’re being naive."

I numbly cut off the mind-link.

The Lycan Queen’s pained groans snapped me back to reality. "Your Majesty!"

The pack’s healer, his expression grave, examined her briefly before turning to me. "The dark magic has solidified within her. Even removing the infected tissue won’t help. The only hope is to contact Alpha Jensen and have him bring the Crimson Moon Chalice immediately."

My heart ached, unsure how to respond. As the chalice’s keeper, I knew its power to absorb dark magic. I had mind-linked Jensen as soon as I learned of the Lycan Queen’s condition. But he had only scoffed.

"Rosalia, even if you wanted to trick me into coming back, you could have come up with a better story," he sneered. "The Lycan Queen? Infected by dark magic? You know today is Rayna’s birthday. I only borrowed your chalice to fulfill her wish. Is it too much to ask for you not to be so petty?"

A matter of life and death, yet he stubbornly believed I was jealous and causing trouble.

In the healing chamber, dark tendrils of magic seeped from the Lycan Queen’s head. She was at her limit. Yet, she still managed a gentle smile, comforting everyone around her. "Don’t worry. Perhaps this is my fate. With the chalice, at worst I’ll lose a few centuries of power."

I looked at her kind face, tears welling in my eyes. How could I tell this woman who had ruled the werewolf realm with grace and protected us all that her only hope of survival was being squandered by her own son?

"Rosalia, where is Alpha Jensen?" one of the pack elders asked, noticing my troubled expression.

Meeting the Lycan Queen’s soft gaze, I reluctantly answered. "Alpha Jensen is in the human world… celebrating Rayna George’s birthday."

Rayna had appeared in the Silver Moon Pack a year ago, severely injured and near death. Jensen, moved by pity, had saved her. She had insisted on staying by his side to repay the debt. Their relationship was no secret. Some even whispered that Jensen might take her as a second mate.

But now, hearing my words, the pack was stunned. "What kind of reason is that? Does a she-wolf’s birthday outweigh the life of the Lycan Queen?"

Even the Lycan Queen was in disbelief. "Does Jensen not know the situation here?"

I shook my head bitterly. "Mother, he knows."

---

The Lycan Queen’s face paled, and she coughed up blackened blood before collapsing into the healing chamber. "This is bad! The dark magic has reached her core. If we don’t remove it soon, she’ll…"

Whiskers, a rogue who had once been saved by the Lycan Queen, roared in anger, snatching my mind-link device and pouring his aura into it. "Jensen King! What kind of Alpha are you? The Lycan Queen is dying, and you’re ignoring it?"

Almost immediately, Rayna’s voice came through, trembling with委屈. "Whiskers, Alpha Jensen just wanted to grant me a small wish. I know you’re here on Rosalia’s orders to cause trouble. I’ll make him return…"

Before she could finish, Jensen’s voice, laced with fury, cut in. "Whiskers, a rogue like you dares to threaten my mate? You’ve got a lot of nerve! And tell that woman, if she ruins Rayna’s birthday with her nonsense, I’ll make sure she pays dearly when I return!"

Crack. The device shattered, signaling Jensen had destroyed his end.

Whiskers growled, his teeth grinding in frustration. "That bastard! Fine, I’ll go to the human world and drag him back myself!"

My heart sank. Jensen was completely under Rayna’s spell. In my past life, I had gone to the human world myself, pleading with him, even showing him proof of the Lycan Queen’s condition. But he had dismissed it all, mocking and insulting me. Desperate, I had risked my wolf to steal the chalice from him, saving the Lycan Queen. Now, with Whiskers going alone…

Before I could stop him, Whiskers vanished.

I knelt by the Lycan Queen’s side, gently holding her hand. She opened her eyes weakly, looking at me. "Rosalia, I’m sorry for all this…"

Tears choked me. Since Jensen and I had completed the mark ceremony, the Lycan Queen had treated me like her own daughter. That was why I had stayed silent when I noticed Jensen and Rayna growing close. I didn’t want to worry her.

Time ticked by, and the Lycan Queen’s condition worsened. Dark, twisted patterns spread across her arms, creeping toward her neck. Once they fully enveloped her, she would be lost to the dark magic forever.

Was I really going to watch her fall this time?

No. There was still a sliver of hope. Maybe Whiskers could…

But before I could finish the thought, a massive shadow flew toward us, crashing to the ground. My breath hitched. It was Whiskers, battered and unconscious.

"Whiskers!" I rushed to his side, immediately tending to his wounds. My heart sank as I assessed his injuries. His bones were shattered, and his internal organs were damaged. Even if he recovered, his strength would be diminished.

Whiskers groaned weakly, his voice filled with rage. "That bastard… Jensen… He released the creatures from the chalice just to entertain Rayna. I tried to reason with him, but he accused me of being your spy. He refused to hand over the chalice and attacked me. I couldn’t…"

He looked at the Lycan Queen, tears of guilt streaming down his face. "Your Majesty, I’ve failed you."

The Lycan Queen sighed, her voice barely audible. "It’s all right, Whiskers. As I said, perhaps this is my fate. Don’t blame yourself."

She turned to me, her gaze steady. "Rosalia, if I succumb to the dark magic, gather the pack and strike me down while I’m weak. Don’t hesitate."

Her calm tone shattered me. The pack wept openly, and I collapsed to my knees, sobbing. "Mother, you can’t leave me. You saved me when I was just a human orphan, freezing in the snow. You’ve been like a mother to me. I won’t let you die!"

I had been a human orphan, destined to die in the cold. The Lycan Queen had found me, saved me, and brought me into the pack. When Jensen had first seen me, he had claimed me as his mate. I had accepted, grateful for the Lycan Queen’s kindness. But I never imagined that Rayna’s arrival would unravel everything.

Rayna, seemingly fragile, was cunning and manipulative. With just a few words, she could turn Jensen against me. In my past life, I had never expected him to go so far as to torment me to death for her sake.

The Lycan Queen gently touched my cheek. "Rosalia, don’t grieve. When I’m gone, end your bond with that fool. He’s not worthy of you. I fear what he might do to you after I’m gone."

"Mother," I interrupted, determination flaring within me. "I won’t let you die."

The Crimson Moon Chalice was my heirloom. If it could absorb the dark magic, then so could I.