Pursuing My Rejected Luna by Cara Anderson novel Chapter 6

+15 Bonus

Chapter 6

Skye

It’s a Thursday evening when it happens.

Dinner is a quiet affair, as it’s been all week. Liam chatters about a butterfly he found in the garden. Cassandra listens with that practiced, beatific smile-the one that makes her look like the warmest person in any room. Jaxon responds to his son in clipped but not unkind tones, and I watch the three of them from my end of the table like I’m observing strangers through glass.

I’m pushing food around my plate when Jaxon speaks.

“We’re going to Green Springs this weekend.” He doesn’t look up from his meal. “The hot springs resort on the mountain. You’re coming with us.”

The words land in the middle of the table like a bomb exploding and I flinch in my seat.

Cassandra’s hand drifts to Jaxon’s, a brief, deliberate touch. When she looks at me, her smile is soft. Angelic. It makes my skin crawl.

“It’ll be good for Liam,” she says. “The mineral waters are supposed to help with his condition. Don’t you think, Skye?”

I stare at her. At the careful innocence in her eyes. At the way she positions herself-not as an intruder, but as a concerned mother simply doing what’s best for her child. As if I’m the unreasonable one for finding any of this

strange.

“I don’t think I should-” I start.

“You’re coming.” Jaxon’s gaze lifts to meet mine for the first time all week. Those steel-gray eyes pin me in place with an intensity that makes my breath catch. His Alpha aura rolls off him in waves-not aggressive, but

immovable. Final.

It’s not a request.

I hold his stare for a long moment, searching for something-anything-that tells me he sees me. That somewhere behind that wall of authority and pride, the man I’ve always hoped would look at me like I was worth something exists in there somewhere.

I find nothing.

“Fine,” I say quietly, and look back down at my plate.

Liam giggles, oblivious. “Mama, can we get ice cream at the mountain?”

“We’ll see, sweetheart,” Cassandra coos, and reaches across the table to wipe an invisible smudge from his cheek.

I set my fork down carefully, fold my napkin, and place it on the table.

“May I be excused?” I ask no one in particular.

Jaxon doesn’t answer. He’s already turned back to Liam, listening to the boy describe the butterfly in vivid, delighted detail.

I leave the table without waiting for permission.

Green Springs Resort sits nestled on the western slope of Frost Peak Mountain, accessible only by a winding road

13

Chapter 6

+15 Bohus

that cuts through dense pine forest before climbing into snow-dusted slopes. I’ve heard about it my entire life- the pack’s private hot spring retreat, reserved for high-ranking families and special occasions. I’d hoped Jaxon would take me there for a romantic getaway one day, just the two of us.

I never imagined my first visit would be like this. 1

“I can drive myself,” I tell Jaxon as we load luggage into the SUV Saturday morning. “There’s no reason for us all

to-”

“You’re riding with me.” He doesn’t look at me, just hoists another suitcase-one of three Cassandra packed- into the back. “Cassandra and Liam will take the back seat.”

Of course they will.

I stand there with my single overnight bag, watching two betas handle the heavy lifting-Cole and Everett, both loyal to Jaxon since childhood. This is supposed to be a quiet trip. Just family, Jaxon had said. No guards. No formality. Just the betas to help with luggage and keep an eye on Liam.

Just us.

“Shotgun it is,” I murmur, and climb into the passenger seat before anyone can see the humiliation burning in my cheeks.

Cassandra settles into the back with Liam a few minutes later, her jasmine scent immediately filling the enclosed space. She’s dressed in cream-colored cashmere, her hair falling in perfect waves. Even at seven in the morning, she looks like she stepped out of a magazine.

I’m wearing jeans and an oversized sweater. I didn’t bother with makeup.

What’s the point?

The first hour passes with Liam’s excited chatter and Cassandra’s indulgent responses. I lean my head against the window and close my eyes, trying to ignore the churning in my stomach.

“Do you remember that summer we went to the lake house?” Cassandra asks Jaxon, her voice pitched low and intimate. “You and I must have been sixteen.”

“Seventeen,” Jaxon corrects. “Right before I was named heir.”

“That’s right.” She laughs softly. “You were so serious about everything. I had to practically drag you into the water.”

I can hear the smile in Jaxon’s voice. “You pushed me off the dock.”

“You needed to loosen up.”

They continue like that, trading memories I’m not part of. Inside jokes I don’t understand. The car curves along the mountain road, and each turn makes my stomach lurch.

I keep my eyes closed and focus on breathing.

By hour three, the nausea is getting worse. The winding roads don’t help-up and down, sharp curves that make the SUV sway. Cassandra’s perfume is too strong. The heater is blasting. Everything feels wrong.

VERIFYCAPTCHA_LABELVerify