Emma POV

I looked at my watch and saw that it was 11 pm. Who was here this late?

I removed the covers and went toward my bedroom door. I opened them in time to hear my brother’s voice.

“Logan?” he said. “What are you doing here?”

“Where is she? Where is Emma?” Logan asked nervously.

His voice was the most amazing sound I have ever heard. It was like music to my ears. What was wrong with me? It never sounded like that before. It must have been because I was tired.

But he sounded cold, rushed. I didn’t know why he was asking for me, but I had a feeling that I was in trouble. But I didn’t do anything wrong.

“Emma?” my brother asked. “She is sleeping. Why?”

I could hear surprise and confusion in his voice.

I started walking toward the stairs and was instantly hit with the most amazing smell, pine needles and snow. It smelled like a winter forest.

‘Mate!’ Eliza screamed in my head.

‘What?!’ I asked and froze.

‘It is Logan, Emma. He is our mate. Go to him.’ Eliza said, excited.

Logan? The Alpha? He is my mate? I am a Luna?

I had a million questions in my head. My feet started moving against my will. It was like something was pulling me downstairs. Well, not something.

The mate bond.

“Wake her up.” Logan growled. “Now.”

He sounded mad. Why was he mad?

“I am awake.” I said and started walking down the stairs.

I stopped in the middle to look at Logan.

Everything shifted when I looked into his eyes. He was now the center of my world. He was everything. I felt this incredible need to touch him, to be in his arms.

I wanted to run to him, but I stopped myself when I saw how cold his stare was. What was going on?

“Logan?” my brother called him.

“She is my mate.” Logan said through his teeth.

My brother gasped and looked up at me. I nodded and looked back at Logan. He was standing there looking at me with a cold expression on his face. His fists were clenched, and his posture was rigid.

He didn’t want me. That’s why he was so angry. I was not good enough to be his Luna.

“Emma.” Andrew called my name. “Go to your room. Now.”

He must have seen how angry Logan was and wanted to talk to him about this. I turned away and walked back upstairs.

But there was no way I was going back into my room. I wanted to hear what Logan would say. I had a feeling I knew, though.

I heard them walking to the kitchen, and I sat at the top of the stairs. I would be able to hear them talk and, hopefully, they would be focused on their conversation and would not be able to hear or sense me. I just had to be very quiet.

I hugged my knees and waited.

“Talk.” my brother said coldly. “How did you know before you even saw her?”

“I don’t know.” Logan sighed. “I could sense and smell her. It happened about an hour ago. At first, I thought I was going crazy, but then I decided to follow that smell. I knew for sure when I came closer to your house.

Leon started going crazy.”

“That is weird.” my brother said. “Mates usually know when they see each other. They can’t sense it before.”

“I know. But I did.” Logan growled.

My brother sighed. “Why are you angry?”

“She can’t be my Luna, Andrew.” Logan said.

My heart broke. I hugged my knees even tighter. I felt warm tears running down my cheeks. Nothing hurts like your mate’s rejection.

“What? Why?” my brother asked angrily.

“She is a child.” Logan said. “She is not strong enough to be a Luna. I need someone stronger.”

“You are kidding me, right?” my brother yelled. “You are going to throw away Goddess’ gift because you don’t think she is strong enough?!”

“It is for the pack.” Logan said calmly. “You know our pack needs strong leadership. Especially now that rogues are attacking even more frequently.”

“Alpha is always stronger when he has his Luna by his side.” my brother growled.

“He is. And I will have my Luna.” Logan said. “I am thinking about taking Sienna as my chosen mate.”

My heart stopped beating. He was choosing another she-wolf instead of me.

And not just any wolf. Sienna. She wanted to get rid of me. And she will.

She will become a Luna and she will exile me from my pack. Maybe she will even kill me when she finds out I am Logan’s true mate.

“Why didn’t you already do that if you think she will be a great Luna?” my brother asked angrily.

“I wanted to wait for my true mate.” Logan answered. “To see if I was gifted with a strong she-wolf. But now that I see that is not the case, I can freely choose somebody else.”

“I can’t believe this.” my brother said quietly.

“You know I am right, Andrew.” Logan said. “You know that you, me, and Sienna will be great leaders, and the pack will benefit greatly from our leadership. We can’t do that with your sister. She is only 18.”

My brother said nothing, and I think he agreed with Logan. He thought that I was not strong. I didn’t think my heart could break even more.

I’ve heard enough. I got up and walked to my room.

My heart was breaking into a million tiny pieces. I didn’t think that I would ever be able to put it back together. And he hasn’t officially rejected me yet.

I didn’t know how I would survive when he does.

Mates can reject each other. It doesn’t break the bond, though. Nothing does. It is only words. But it lets you know that your mate doesn’t want you, and it is horrible. The bond is alive, but you can’t do anything about it.

Being exiled by Sienna and becoming a rogue suddenly didn’t sound so bad. It was better than staying here, watching them together. It would kill me slowly.

‘Eliza?’ I called my wolf. ‘Are you okay?’ ‘No, Emma.’ She whined. ‘I am in pain.’ ‘I know.’ I said. ‘I am sorry.’ ‘His wolf wants us.’ She whined. ‘Leon wants us. It is Logan who is fighting the bond.’ I didn’t respond and I felt her going further back in my mind. I didn’t think I would hear from her again tonight. She needed to heal.

I couldn’t stay here. I couldn’t see my brother. I couldn’t see him.

I quickly put on my tights, a hoodie, and sneakers. I grabbed a jacket from my wardrobe and opened my window.

My room was on the second floor, but there was a roof just underneath it. I always sneaked out this way when my brother forbade me from going out with Amy. He never caught me. I hoped that tonight would be the same.

I carefully climbed out onto the roof and made my way down. I had to be really careful not to make any noise. I was in a house with an Alpha and a Beta werewolf. Their hearing is even better than other werewolves’. I just hoped they were still talking and focused on their conversation.

I climbed down and started walking toward the forest. There was a cave nearby where Amy, Jake, and I always went to hang out when we wanted to be alone. I needed to go there and think.

Logan POV I wanted to reject her on the spot.

But when I saw her standing there on the stairs, I couldn’t do it. I couldn’t say those words.

I saw that she was happy when she looked at me. She wanted to go to me.

But she saw my cold stare and she stopped herself.

Goddess, she is beautiful. I always thought that she was pretty and hot, but now that she is my mate, she is even more beautiful than before. She smelled like strawberries and watermelon. Her long brown hair was falling freely down her back and her blue eyes were an ocean I want to swim in.

Her lips were perfect. Her small body was perfect. Every curve was made for me. I just wanted to touch her.

I clenched my fists to stop myself. I shut Leon out completely because he would kill me for what I was about to do. He was so happy when we smelled her. I don’t want him to see this. I will deal with him later.

I was relieved when Andrew told her to go upstairs. I will be able to think clearly now that she is not here.

I could tell Andrew was not happy with my explanation. But he knows I am right. He knows that the pack always comes first. And his sister is a child.

She just shifted today. She can’t control her wolf properly and she can’t fight in wolf form. The rogues would use her against me, and that would ruin the pack. I needed a strong Luna. Sienna would be a great Luna. She is strong and kind. Our pack would benefit from having her as a Luna.

“Andrew.” I called him after he didn’t respond.

“Fuck.” he muttered. “You are right. Sienna is strong and she would be a great Luna. But that doesn’t mean my sister couldn’t get stronger.”

“It doesn’t.” I agreed. “But we don’t have the time to train her, to make her stronger. Rogues would use her as a liability against me, and the pack would suffer. You know I am right.”

He nodded and ran his hand through his hair.

“Do you want to tell her now?” he asked me.

I nodded. “Yes. It doesn’t make sense to wait.”

“Fine.” he said. “I will go get her.”

I took a deep breath and tried to calm myself. I couldn’t get distracted by the bond. By her. I needed to do this, for my father and for my pack.

It will not sever the bond. Nothing does. I will still feel her, she will still be my mate, but I will be free to make Sienna my Luna.

“Fuck!” I heard Andrew yell and I immediately ran upstairs.

Her smell was so intoxicating up here. I couldn’t help but to breathe it in deeply.

“What happened?” I asked Andrew.

He left her room, but she wasn’t with him.

“She left.” he growled.

I froze and my heart started beating painfully. She left. She probably heard us and left. What if something happened to her? I couldn’t let that happen. I couldn’t live without her.

‘Leon?’ I called my wolf. ‘Can you feel our mate’s wolf? Is she okay?’ ‘No.’ He growled at me. ‘Her wolf is in pain. She retracted far back in mate’s mind. I can’t feel her.’ Fuck.

‘You are a complete fucker, Logan.’ Leon growled. ‘Mate is perfect and strong. You will be sorry for what you did.’ I didn’t respond, and I pushed him to the back of my mind. I didn’t need that now. He is an animal. He reacts purely on instinct. And his instinct is to get his mate. I have to be the one to think rationally and think about our pack.

Andrew ran past me and went downstairs. He grabbed his jacket and ran through the front door. I followed him in a daze.

“Come on, Logan.” he growled. “Follow her scent. Where did she go?”

I focused on him and did what he told me to do. Her scent was the strongest underneath her bedroom window, and it continued toward the forest.

“Shit.” Andrew muttered.

We hurried towards the forest, and I told him where to go based on the intensity of her scent. It wasn’t hard to follow her, so it couldn’t be long since she walked this path.

Suddenly, her scent just stopped. I couldn’t smell her anymore. It was like she just disappeared. My heart stopped beating.

“What’s wrong?” Andrew asked.

“I can’t smell her anymore.” I said quietly. “The smell is completely gone.”

“Fuck!” he yelled. “She used masking spray.”

I closed my eyes and took a deep breath to calm myself. She is okay. I would have felt if something happened to her.

“Emma?!” Andrew yelled.

‘Leon?’ I called my wolf. ‘I know you are mad at me, but I need you to try and talk to her wolf. Tell her to come back.’ ‘I will.’ He growled. ‘But not because of you. I want mate to be safe.’ “Leon will try to talk to her wolf.” I told Andrew.

“If something happens to her, I will kill you. Alpha or not.” he growled at me.

He was the only one who can say something like that to me. If he wasn’t my best friend, he would be dead already.

“She is okay, Andrew.” I said. “I would feel if something happened to her.”

“What if she decided to leave the pack, huh?” he growled. “To become a rogue because she heard her mate, the one person who should love her unconditionally, say that she is not strong enough to be his mate and Luna?!”

“I didn’t do that. Not yet anyway.” a voice said from the forest.

Andrew and I turned towards the sound. Emma leaned against the tree. I let out a breath I had been holding. She is okay.

She was wearing tights that let me see her legs perfectly. Her face was even more beautiful than it was back at the house. How is it possible for someone to become even more beautiful in a matter of minutes? I had to use all my strength not to go to her and make her mine. If I was a regular wolf and not an Alpha, I don’t think I would be able to do that.

Andrew ran towards her and hugged her. I got jealous. I wanted to do that.

But I knew I couldn’t. I had to be strong.

“Goddess, Emma.” Andrew yelled. “Don’t ever do that again!”

She didn’t hug him back. She stepped away from him and looked at me.

“You are here to reject me, right?” she said quietly. “Come on, do it. Let’s get this over with.”

Andrew and I shared a confused look. How is she so calm? So… strong? I looked back at her, and she was staring at me with her head held high.

I took a deep breath and walked closer to her. “You know why I have to do this.”

“I do.” she nodded. “I heard everything.”

I nodded and ran my hand through my hair. Every part of me was screaming at me not to do this. Leon clawed his way to the front of my mind to see his mate, and he was growling and whining. I didn’t want to do this. I wanted her. But I had to. For my pack.

I took a deep breath and looked directly into her wonderful eyes.

“I, Logan Carter, Alpha of the Crescent Moon Pack, reject you, Emma Parker of the Crescent Moon Pack.”

I could feel my heart breaking. Leon was howling inside me, and I could feel his pain.

She was looking right at me, and I could see the pain in her eyes, but she refused to show it. Most wolves fall to their knees from pain. I wanted to fall to my knees and claw at my chest. But she didn’t. She was standing there with her head held high. She took a deep breath and closed her wonderful eyes.

“I, Emma Parker of the Crescent Moon Pack, accept your rejection.”

I closed my eyes and felt tears running down my cheek. When I opened them, she was gone.

The bond was still here. Nothing has changed. I felt the same way toward her. I still wanted her. But I just opened the door for me to mate with another she-wolf.

Emma POV

I never thought I could feel this much pain and survive. My whole body is trembling, and my soul is in pieces. There is a huge hole in my heart, and I don’t think I will ever be able to fix it.

My mate doesn’t want me.

I am not good enough.

My brother thinks I am weak.

My mate rejected me. He will have a new Luna, and I will have to look at them every day.

I don’t know how I came home. I don’t remember the path. Pain clouded my vision.

I left Logan and Andrew in the forest, and I just started running away.

I couldn’t go back to the cave. I didn’t want them to find it. It would mean that I wouldn’t be safe there anymore.

We always used masking spray before coming into the cave. But Andrew and Logan came close to finding it. I guess it was because of the mate bond.

Logan could smell me better.

I started walking to my room. I shut the door and locked it. I didn’t want to see my brother. I didn’t want to talk to him. I wanted to be alone.

I laid on my bed and stared at the ceiling. I just wished I could feel numb.

Not happy. I didn’t think I would ever be happy again. The best I could have hoped for was numbness. Maybe I would be able to achieve that.

Maybe the pain would burn through my body tonight, and in the morning, there would be nothing left but numbness. Like poison. It burns, destroys, and leaves.

I heard my brother opening the back door and running upstairs. He tried to open my bedroom door.

“Emma?” he called me. “Emma, open the door, please.”

I stayed silent. I didn’t want to talk to him.

“Emma, please.” he said. “Let me explain.”

There was nothing to explain. I was a weak, small she-wolf, who could never be good enough to be a Luna. Or Logan’s mate.

Andrew tried to talk to me a few more times, but he gave up when I refused to answer.

I heard him sigh and walk away.

I continued to stare at the ceiling. What a way to end a birthday. My day started full of excitement, love, and new beginnings, only to end in pain and misery. I never thought it would happen like this.

I stayed up all night staring at the ceiling and wishing the pain would go away. It sort of worked. By the time I was supposed to get up and go get breakfast, the pain was better, bearable. Maybe I could tell that a small part of me was numb. That was a start.

I heard my brother wake up. He walked downstairs to the kitchen and started making breakfast. Half an hour later, I heard Sienna coming. A little while after, Logan arrived as well.

It was tradition for them. They always met at our house, had breakfast, and then they went and done their Alpha and Beta duties. Sienna just went around being a bitch to everybody. But soon she would have Luna’s duties.

I looked at my watch and saw that I had to be at the training ground in an hour. I decided to get ready and get there early. I couldn’t stand being in the same house as them.

I got up and hopped in the shower. I quickly got dressed and tied my hair in a ponytail. I looked in the mirror and my lack of sleep was clearly visible on my face. I sighed and unlocked my bedroom door.

I decided to leave through the back door, so I didn’t have to see anybody.

But my brother heard me.

“Emma?” he called me and came running from the kitchen.

I stared at him blankly.

“Where are you going?” he asked me.

“Training grounds.” I said quietly.

“It is early.” he said. “And Jacob is not here yet.”

There was a loud growl in the kitchen. Logan.

I ignored it and put my focus back on my brother. “I want to get there early today.”

“Oh. Okay.” my brother said nervously. “But you didn’t eat anything.”

“I am not hungry.” I said and walked through the door.

I closed them before he could say anything.

I walked over to the training grounds, and I saw that Jake was already there.

He saw me and gave me a confused look.

“Emma? What are you doing here? I was just about to go get you.” he told me.

Before I could say anything, he noticed how tired I looked.

“Emma?” he asked, worried. “What happened?”

“I am fine.” I said quietly. “I couldn’t sleep.”

“Why, beautiful?” he asked and wrapped me in his arms.

Goddess, why couldn’t he be my mate?

“I found my mate.” I whispered in his arms.

I felt him tense, and he pulled away from me to look me in the eyes. He left his hands on my shoulders, holding me tightly.

“Who is it?” he asked me. “And why are you so sad?”

I couldn’t answer him. Those words didn’t want to leave my mouth. I looked down at my feet.

“Did he…” he started talking, but he stopped himself.

I looked back up at him and nodded.

His eyes widened. “Oh, my Goddess. I am so sorry, beautiful. You don’t deserve that. Nobody deserves that.”

I smiled slightly and sighed. “Well, I guess it had to happen like that.”

“Who is he?” he asked me.

“Not now, Jake.” I said. “We will talk after training.”

He nodded and wrapped me in a hug again. He kissed my forehead and walked over to his training ground.

My whole training session sucked. I was so tired and distracted that I got a nice ass whopping. By the end, I was covered in bruises and cuts.

Amy walked over to me with a frown on her face. “Emmy, you sucked today. What happened? Why were you so distracted?”

“I will tell you at the diner, Amy.” I said. “I need to go home and take a hot shower.”

“Okay.” she said, eyeing me up and down. “Are you sure you are okay?”

I nodded and walked away.

I just hoped that my brother wasn’t home. I didn’t want him to see me like this. It would only add to his belief that I was weak.

I was lucky. He was out. But a monster waited for me at my house. Sienna.

She was leaning on the kitchen counter when I walked in. She eyed me up and down and smiled wickedly.

“Well, if it isn’t the little rejected mate.” she said, smirking. “You know, I always wanted to see the face of a little bitch whose Luna title I would take away, but the fact that it is you only makes it better.”

I rolled my eyes and started walking upstairs. She ran after me and grabbed my hand, turning me around.

“Listen here, you little bitch.” she spat in my face. “I am your Luna, and you will not roll your eyes at me.”

“My Luna is Gloria. You are just a really bad replacement.” I spat back.

She slapped me hard, and I fell on the floor. I should have seen that coming.

She stepped on my arm with her heel. It hurt like hell, but I didn’t want to give her the pleasure of screaming. I looked up at her with a murderous look on my face.

“I can’t wait for Logan to mark me as his. I will kill you and make it look like you ran away to be a rogue.” she said quietly and walked away.

I slowly got up and walked upstairs to my room.

My life would be a living hell until Sienna finally ended me. I was sure she would make sure to torture and torment me whenever she had a chance to.

Even though Logan rejected me, she still saw me as a treat.