The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 43

**Between Then and Now by Mark Twain**

**Chapter 12**

**Cassian’s POV**

The air in the clearing was thick with anticipation as everyone gathered, their eyes fixed on the scene unfolding before them. The woods, typically a sanctuary, felt charged with an energy that was almost electric, as if the very trees were holding their breath, waiting for the inevitable transformation.

Who does this pretty boy think he is, strutting in here like he owns the place, trying to lay claim to what’s rightfully mine? The thought gnawed at me, a bitter taste that lingered in the back of my mind. Sure, I had treated her poorly in the past, and yes, I had made the foolish mistake of sleeping with her sister—but that was before I truly saw her, before I realized just how breathtakingly beautiful she really was.

The mate bond? I could take it or leave it. But the desire to have her beside me at night, to feel her warmth against my skin, was something I couldn’t ignore. There was no way I was going to let him take her from me. I didn’t care if he was the King of Wolves; I would fight for what was mine.

With a surge of determination, I marched toward her, my heart pounding in my chest. I seized Skyla’s arm, my voice a low growl as I declared, “Mine.” The possessiveness in my tone surprised even me, but it felt right.

In that moment, the air erupted with the sound of tearing fabric, a cacophony that was quickly overshadowed by a deafening roar that reverberated through the clearing. Before I could fully comprehend the chaos around me, an intense pain shot down my spine, sharp and consuming.

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