The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 8

**Between Then and Now by Mark Twain**

**Chapter 8**

As the day drew to a close, the sun dipped low on the horizon, casting a warm, golden hue across the street, turning the mundane into something almost magical.

I grasped Isla’s hand firmly, feeling the warmth of her small fingers intertwining with mine. With a deliberate motion, I locked the shop door, preparing to step into the evening when a voice, heavy with unspoken feelings and a hint of desperation, broke through the stillness behind me. “We understand.”

The words hung in the air, filled with a weight I couldn’t quite grasp. “From now on… we won’t bother you again.”

I couldn’t discern who had spoken; all I could hear was the soft, muffled sobs of Luna Juliet, echoing like a haunting melody in my mind.

For a fleeting moment, I hesitated, feeling the pull of curiosity tugging at my conscience. But I chose to move forward, stepping into the embrace of the sunset’s glow, leaving the shadows behind.

Isla tightened her grip on my hand, her eyes sparkling with sincerity. “Hazel, I’m not like them. I’ll like you forever and ever!”

Her words filled me with warmth. “You’re the best person in the whole world!” I replied earnestly, feeling a rush of affection.

“I want lasagna for dinner—your lasagna,” she declared, her face lighting up with excitement.

I couldn’t help but smile at her enthusiasm. “Alright, I’ll make it just for you,” I promised, already envisioning the rich, cheesy layers of pasta.

Behind us, the three figures stood in silence, their presence a heavy weight in the air, but they made no move to follow.

True to their word, they vanished from our lives, and tranquility returned, wrapping around us like a comforting blanket.

But then, one fateful afternoon, the glass door swung open with a force that shattered the peace.

Eden stormed in, her slightly swollen belly a testament to her condition, flanked by Beta Will and a group of warriors, their expressions taut with tension.

Gone was the composed Luna I had once known; her eyes blazed with a fierce, unrestrained malice. “Hazel, why do you have to show up again?” she spat, her voice laced with venom.

“You should’ve died by that lake ten years ago! Died when they hated you the most!”

Her words cut deep, a reminder of the past I had tried so hard to escape.

Eden clutched her face, her eyes wide with disbelief as she shrieked, “How dare you hit me, you lowly bitch?!”

“Hold her down!” she barked at the warriors behind her, but I was no longer the meek, submissive foster daughter of the Darkstone Pack they once knew.

In one swift, fluid motion, I reached for the heavy metal mop handle leaning against the door and swung it in a brutal arc, the sound of it connecting with the lead warrior’s kneecap echoing in the small space like a thunderclap.

He howled in pain, collapsing to the ground, and chaos erupted around us.

Isla, alerted by the commotion, burst from the back kitchen, wielding a rolling pin like a knight brandishing a sword, ready to defend her territory.

Panic spread among the she-wolves as one of them trembled, her voice quaking, “Luna, should we summon Alpha Adrian and Alpha Mike…?”

Eden’s face drained of color at the suggestion. “You will do no such thing! If a single word of this leaves this room, I’ll have your…”

Her threat was abruptly silenced as the shop door crashed open once more.

Adrian stood in the doorway, his presence commanding, his voice as cold as ice. “Eden. What are you doing?”