Pursuing My Rejected Luna by Cara Anderson novel Chapter 227

Cara Anderson

Bound To My Unworthy Luna

Thank you for joining me for Noah’s story! See blurb below.

Noah

I never spent much time thinking about my future mate. I simply trusted fate to send her to me when the time was right. And foolishly assumed she’d want me the way I’d want her. That’s just the way fate works, right?

So when Cassandra Winters returns to Ironwood and our bond snaps into place, I couldn’t be happier. I don’t care that she’s my Alpha’s ex-girlfriend or that she already has a son. Fate chose her for me and I trust fate with the details.

Only she doesn’t want me at all. She wants my Alpha. And she’d rather lie, cheat and steal to get him than accept her scent-matched mate. Once I realize that, rejecting her is easy. She’s not worthy of me anyway.

When my Alpha steps down and hands the pack over to me, life finally starts to look up and I resolve to put Cassandra and the past behind me. Until the past comes back to haunt me in the form of RMS- Rejected Mate Syndrome.

They tell me I only have two options: Bond my unworthy Luna or let the disease win.

Cassandra

Banished. Exiled. Ostracised. All just fancy words to describe the truth of what I really am. A rogue.

I’ve made peace with it. It’s no more than I deserve after what I’ve done. To Jaxon, To my sister. To my own mate.

Jaxon Vale was mine until fate took him from me and gave him to my sister instead. I should have accepted he was never meant to be mine and let him go. But I let jealousy consume me until all I could think about was taking him from her and making him mine again.

I lied and manipulated to get what I wanted. Hurt my sister, my fated mate, even my own son. And it cost me everything. I’d give anything to take it all back now. But I can’t.

Life as a rogue is hard and it’s far from safe, but I get by. I have no other choice. Until the unthinkable happens and forces me to do the one thing I swore I’d never do…

Beg him for mercy.

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Prologue

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Noah

“Beta,” a call from the gate comes in, rescuing me from the mind numbing paperwork I’ve been pouring over all morning. “A woman and child are requesting to see Alpha Vale. He’s not answering. Can you authorize her entry?”

Normally, I’d send someone else to handle Jaxon’s unscheduled visitors. But if it gets me out of this office and a chance to uncross my eyes, I’m all over it.

“Just hold her at the gate, please. I’ll be right out.” I tell them, already heading for the front door.

Anxious to stretch my legs, I decide to walk the long driveway down to the gate. I’m almost there when I stop in my tracks. Because I can see the woman standing there and she’s the last person I expected to turn up in Ironwood

Cassandra Winters. Our Luna Skye’s older sister and our Alpha’s ex.

Skye was my best friend growing up so of course I’d met Cassie, though the two didn’t spend much time together And I knew she’d been with Jaxon, briefly, before everything fell apart when he mated Skye.

No one who ever looked at Cassandra could deny she was beautiful, but she was into older guys and I’d been besotted by her sister at the time. Seeing her now though, she’s so gorgeous it takes my breath away.

She’s standing at the gate with a boy on her hip when I walk up to meet her. The boy is maybe two or three-blond -haired, watchful, like he’s expecting something to happen that he’d rather not be a part of but knows it’s coming anyway. And something about him sets my wolf on edge.

I open my mouth to greet them when the most amazing scent of lavender and eucalyptus hits me square in the chest, nearly knocking me to my knees. And then she looks at me, and I feel my entire future rearrange itself.

My wolf, who has always been steady and methodical and reliable in the way I am, surges forward toward her with a certainty that belongs to something older than thought.

There, my wolf says. That one. Her.

“Hi, Cassandra. I’m Noah, Jaxon’s Beta.” I flash her my sexiest smile and take a step toward her, my arms stretching toward her.

To hug her, to pull her into my arms and never let her go, I’m not sure. But she takes a step back and I let them fall to my sides. Of course she must be overwhelmed. Neither of us were expecting to meet our fated mate today.

“I remember you.” She tries to smile but it doesn’t reach her eyes. “I was hoping to see Jaxon. Is he available?”

It’s weird she isn’t responding to the pull like I am, but maybe she doesn’t want to do this here with an audience. Maybe if I take her inside where no one’s watching, she’ll feel more comfortable acknowledging our bond.

She felt it. I saw it in the half-second where her expression was completely unguarded-the recognition, the shock, something that might be the beginning of wonder. But then she shut down and I’m not sure why.

Then again, she watched as her sister and Jaxon’s bond snapped into place and the minute they touched, their wolves lost control. I’d like to believe I have a better rein on my inner beast but she doesn’t know that. I can’t blame her for being worried about what might happen next, especially with a child in her arms.

“Jaxon is busy right now. But why don’t I take you inside to wait?” offer, looking around at the prying eyes pointedly.”

“Yes, thank you.” She agrees, but gives me a wide berth when I hold out my arm to guide her through the gate.

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She looks right past me, toward the main house, and says: “I really need to see Alpha Vale. It’s about my son. It’s

gent.”

“What’s your name, little man?” I try to engage the boy since his mother seems too nervous to hold a conversation just yet.

“Liam.” He answers, offering a weak smile.

My wolf is on edge, growling and snarling in my head at the idea our mate had a child with someone who wasn’t us, but I shove him back. If our mate comes with a ready made family, of course we’ll accept him and love him as our own. The outdated idea that she-wolves should save themselves for their mates is just that… outdated.

“That’s a great name!” I enthuse, ruffling his hair.

But Cassie jolts at the contact and increases her pace until she and Liam are once again out of my reach. I sigh and my shoulders sag as I follow behind them. This is going to be harder than I thought.

I remind myself again to be patient. I have no idea what she’s been through in the years since she left. She clearly had a child and she’s here alone, with no bond mark on her neck. Maybe she’s been hurt before and is slow to trust. That’s okay, I’ll do whatever it takes to prove she’s safe with me.

“I’m not sure how long Jaxon will be. I’d offer to let your sister know you’re here but she’s out for the day. I’m happy to keep you company while you wait, though.”

“No!” She snaps then calms herself. “I’m not here to see Skye. I-, I just need to see Jaxon.” She reiterates. “I’m sure you’re busy too. I’d prefer to wait alone anyway.”

Did my mate just dismiss me? I have to be missing something here. I just have no idea what.

“O-, okay.” The last thing I want to do is make her uncomfortable. “I’ll let Jaxon know you’re here and come back to check on you shortly.”

“Thank you.” Her gaze stays fixed on Liam as I stand to leave.

As I go in search of Jaxon, I decide to give her the benefit of the doubt. She’s clearly concerned about her son. The bond landing on top of whatever’s causing that concern and the stress of arriving at a pack where she’s not known -it’s too much to process all at once. At least that’s what I tell myself.

I don’t see Cassandra the rest of the night. As soon as I tell Jaxon who’s waiting for him, he ends his meeting and rushes out the door. Everything in me wants to follow but I force myself to stay behind.

He’ll find out what she needs and I’ll be the first person he tells anyway. It’s not like I have to worry that she’s here for him romantically. He’s mated to her sister and I know she recognized our bond. We’ll talk tomorrow when she’s had a chance to process everything.

Only we don’t talk tomorrow. Or the next day, or the day after that. Every time I try to find a moment alone with her, she evades me. My wolf is almost feral with need for his mate but I keep him in check.

For now, I content myself with watching her from the shadows. Over the next several days, I watch.

I watch her look at Jaxon the way a woman looks at something she’s decided to have. And I watch Jaxon, who is distracted by his own complicated life and doesn’t see what I see because he’s not looking for it.

I watch her cling to him, insert herself in his life, taking every opportunity to drive a wedge between him and Skye. And I watch her use her son’ to do it.

I see it all. And the more I see, the more the truth becomes painfully clear.

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She knows I’m her mate.

She doesn’t want me.

She wants my Alpha.

Finally, I decide I’ve seen enough. I find her lingering in the hallway outside Jaxon’s office. She doesn’t see me coming-she’s listening to something through the partly open door, her head tilted slightly, her expression doing something calculating that she’d probably control if she knew anyone was watching.

I stop three feet away and wait until she hears me. She turns. Adjusts her expression quickly. “Noah-”

“Don’t,” I say. She goes still. “I know what you are to me and you know what I am to you.” I keep my voice even This isn’t a conversation that requires volume or heat. It’s a conversation that requires clarity. “And I know what you’re doing. I’m not going to pretend I don’t.”

Something moves through her face-quickly, and then it’s gone. “I don’t know what you think ”

“Yes you do,” I cut in. “You felt it at the gate, the moment you looked at me. You know exactly what I am to you and you’ve spent every day since you arrived deciding I’m not the option you want.” I take a deep breath. “That’s your choice to make. I’m not going to argue about it.”

She doesn’t say anything. Not that I should be surprised. At this point, I didn’t really expect her to fight for me.

“But you’re not going to use my pack and my Alpha to run whatever play you’re running,” I point my finger at her chest. “Jaxon is dealing with enough. You’re going to take your son, get the medical referral Dr. Lukas is preparing, and leave Ironwood.”

“Liam needs-”

“Liam’s referral will be ready tomorrow morning. Dr. Lukas is thorough. He’ll have everything he needs.” I meet her eyes one more time. “I reject the mate bond between us. Formally and completely. You’re not welcome in Ironwood.”

She stares back at me but I don’t let myself look for anything in her expression. Jaxon is heading our way and I don’t stick around to be questioned by him. I walk away.

At the end of the day, I can’t make her leave. That decision is completely up to Jaxon. But I hope she does the right thing and goes before she destroys his life too.

The only thing I know for sure is that she’ll never be mine.

I spend the next six months telling myself it was the right thing. Then I start getting sick, and I don’t tell anyone. I just keep telling myself it’s still the right thing.

I’m still not sure I was wrong.

No matter what it costs me.

Cara Anderson

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