The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 12

**Between Then and Now by Mark Twain**

**Chapter 3**

**Blair’s POV**

As I slowly blinked my eyes open, an overwhelming and sharp scent of antiseptic assaulted my senses. It was a harsh reminder of my surroundings, stinging all the way to my scalp and making me acutely aware of my vulnerability.

“Luna! You’re finally awake!” Lexie’s voice burst into my consciousness like a ray of sunshine breaking through a stormy sky. She flung herself onto the edge of my bed, her eyes puffy and red, and grasped my icy fingers as if they were her only anchor to reality. Her hands, rough and calloused, radiated a warmth I had nearly forgotten existed.

“I…” My voice came out as a mere whisper, hoarse and ragged, like sandpaper scraping against my throat. “How… did I survive?”

Tears cascaded down her cheeks, glistening in the dim light. “A kind-hearted healer,” she managed to say between sobs, “He was just passing through our pack and happened to see the snake that bit you. He rushed to the infirmary, realized you were poisoned, and… he couldn’t just stand by and do nothing.”

“He risked punishment and secretly injected you with antivenom. He told me that if it had been just ten minutes later, you wouldn’t have made it.”

My heart jolted within me, a sudden surge of gratitude mixed with disbelief.

“I begged Alpha Lysander to believe me when I said you’d been bitten,” Lexie continued, her voice trembling with emotion. “But he insisted that you were faking it. Alpha Orion wouldn’t even see me, and Alpha Zayden… he said you deserved what happened.”

Fury bubbled within me as I clenched the blanket tightly, my nails biting into my palm, yet I felt no pain.

“Alpha Christian was the worst!” she exclaimed, nearly breaking down. “I got down on my knees and begged him to come check on you. He said… he said you were just being dramatic again. He accused me of helping you put on a show.”

Lexie’s grip on my hand tightened, as if she feared losing her grip on reality. “Luna, you were always so good to them. Remember last winter? Alpha Lysander came home drunk after that late-night pack summit. You boiled him a bitter tonic in that freezing kitchen, and you caught a cold yourself.”

“When Alpha Orion got into trouble with gambling, you secretly sold your grandmother’s heirloom to pay off his debts. And when Zayden had that fever for three days straight, you stayed by his side until you collapsed from exhaustion.”

Her voice cracked, tears spilling over once more, choking her words. “And Alpha Christian… he loves those coffee beans from that specific brand, the ties he wears—things even his mother can’t recall. You remembered everything about him. And now? They’re all fawning over Carrie. That sister who tormented you your entire life, the one who ran from her wedding like a coward—now she’s the adored Luna?!”

I remained silent, my heart heavy with the weight of her words.

**Chapter 3**

Tears streamed down my cheeks, soaking into the pillow beneath me, each drop burning like acid, cutting deeper than the last.

But none of that compared to the agonizing ache in my chest.

It didn’t matter. Soon, it would all be over.

I had already signed the paperwork for the island—a sanctuary far removed from the chaos of the mainland.

No betrayal. No lies. No more of them.

Two days later, I found myself back “home.”

As I pushed the door open, I was hit by a cacophony of birthday music—a piercing sound that clawed at my eardrums, mingling with laughter and the clinking of champagne glasses.

Underneath the sparkling crystal chandelier, Carrie stood by the cake in a flowing gown, her smile radiant and blinding. My three brothers and Christian surrounded her, their faces lit up with joy.

The scene was so familiar, it twisted my stomach into knots.

I lingered at the entrance, the air thick and suffocating.

“I thought she was supposed to be dying?” Lysander shot me a cold, cutting glare from behind his glasses, his voice dripping with disdain.

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