Day 21 — The Rejection Aftermath | Time until Rebirth: -21 Hours
The sting didn't fade.
It scorched.
It haunted.
And it woke something savage inside me.
I walked away from the BloodMoon Pack under a sky that no longer felt like home, my name whispered like a curse and my future burned down to ashes. But I didn't crumble with it.
Three weeks had passed since Lucien rejected me in front of everyone. Since he turned his back on the bond, called me weak, and chose Evelyn—his polished, packaged Luna, the one who looked the part. Since I collapsed in that courtyard, heart torn apart, breath stolen by betrayal.
And yet I rose.
Because the Moon Goddess hadn't left me in the dark. She'd shown me a glimpse of something more—a second chance wrapped in shadow and strength.
But nothing in this world comes free. Not power. Not survival. And definitely not revenge.
Now, I stood beneath a sky painted red by the Blood Moon, its eerie light falling over Midnight territory like a warning. The forest here didn't whisper—it watched. And still, I walked forward.
Two guards stepped from the trees, weapons drawn. One sneered. "State your business."
"I'm here for Alpha Kade Thorn," I said. My voice didn't shake.
The second raised a brow. "You think he'll grant an audience to a rogue?"
"I don't think," I said. "I know he will."
"And why's that?"
"Because I've come to offer him something he wants," I said. Then I let it hang in the air before adding, "Revenge on Lucien Blackthorn."
Silence followed. No laughter this time.
The next thing I knew, silver shackles were clamped around my wrists, a blindfold slipped over my eyes, and I was being dragged deep into Midnight's heart.
---
The Midnight Fortress — Throne Hall
The throne room was carved from black stone, sharp and silent. Firelight danced across walls streaked with shadow. The air was heavy with tension, thick with the scent of iron and war.
At the end of the hall, seated on a throne that looked like it had risen straight from the bones of enemies, was Alpha Kade Thorn.
He didn't speak. Didn't gesture. Just looked.
Piercing. Calculating.
I was forced to my knees, but I didn't stay there long. I stood, shaking the chains from my wrists, and met his gaze.
"I didn't come here to beg," I said. "I came to make a deal."
That caught his attention.
"Lucien Blackthorn rejected me. He chose a Luna who was trained in manipulation, who knows how to build power behind velvet smiles. He's forming alliances. Preparing for war."
Kade didn't blink.
"I know how he thinks," I continued. "I know the weaknesses he hides. The lines he won't cross. I can break him."
He studied me for a long moment. "And what do you want in return?"
I didn't flinch.
"Make me your Luna—on paper, in power. Let me stand at your side. I don't need your heart. I need your throne. And when the time comes... I want Lucien to bleed."
The room went still. Midnight wolves didn't scare easily, but even they paused.
Kade stood. The weight of him filled the space, all raw strength and brutal command.
He stepped down the stairs slowly. When he reached me, he stared like he was trying to see through my skin.
"You were broken," he said. "Still are."
"And?"
"Why should I trust you not to snap again?"
I looked up at him. "Because I didn't break," I said. "I sharpened."
A muscle ticked in his jaw. Then his lips curved, just slightly.
"Fine," he said. "The contract begins tonight."
---
Later That Night — The Midnight Contract Ritual
The ritual wasn't warm. It wasn't kind.
Our hands were wrapped in crimson silk. A dagger carved from ancient obsidian sliced across our palms. When our blood met, the room shifted. The air grew heavier. Something old stirred in the shadows.
This wasn't love.
This wasn't fate.
This was war.
His blood sealed the pact. My blood signed it.
And when I looked him in the eyes, I didn't see a savior—I saw a weapon. One I planned to aim straight at the heart of everything that had once broken me.
Lucien had taken my heart, my future, and buried it.
Now I was digging it back up—with claws, with teeth, with fire.
And I was going to make him wish he had killed me when he had the chance.