The Rejected Luna (Avery and Kaden) novel Chapter 87

**Chapter 3**

**Selene’s POV**

“Selene!”

The sharpness of that familiar voice sliced through the air, pulling me from my engrossing conversation with Ethan Caldwell. I had been lost in the rhythm of our discussion, the world around us fading into the background, when that single word jolted me back to reality.

I turned my head, and there he was—Julian Blake. He stood a few paces behind me, impeccably dressed in a tailored suit that accentuated his lean frame. His silver eyes, usually so calm and composed, now glinted with an unsettling darkness as they fixated on Ethan.

“You’re not going to introduce me?” Julian inquired, his voice smooth yet laced with an unmistakable edge.

There was something different about him today; he seemed poised, as always, but I could sense a flicker of jealousy sparking in his gaze. It was a rare sight, and it left me baffled. Why would he feel that way? I was all too aware that his heart belonged to Claire Lancaster, not me.

I brushed the thought aside, forcing a polite smile to mask my internal confusion. “This is Ethan Caldwell, my senior from the Academy,” I stated, my voice steady. After a brief pause, I added, “And this is… my Mate, Julian Blake.”

The words felt oddly weighty as they left my lips, the Mate Bond between us feeling tenuous with every passing heartbeat. It was as if the very air around us thickened with unspoken tension.

The two men extended their hands, and as they shook, I noticed faint red imprints blossoming on their knuckles—a silent testament to a brief but fierce contest of strength. Neither of them acknowledged it, but the atmosphere crackled with a palpable intensity. Even my wolf stirred within me, uneasy and restless, baring her teeth in response to the challenge.

“They see each other as rivals,” she whispered, her voice laced with a hint of concern.

I offered Ethan a small wave, a silent farewell. “I’ll head off now. See you around, Ethan.”

Without waiting for a reply, I turned on my heel, Julian falling into step beside me. If I had dared to glance back, I might have caught a glimpse of the loneliness that flickered across Ethan’s face—a fleeting shadow that tugged at my heart.

Julian remained quiet until we stepped out of the building, but the air between us was charged with unspoken emotions, a current that neither of us dared to address.

“What were you doing here?” he finally asked, his voice low and tightly controlled, as if he were trying to suppress something boiling just beneath the surface.

I inhaled deeply, trying to keep my tone casual. “It’s been a while since I visited the Academy,” I replied, shrugging slightly. “I thought I’d take a walk around.”

It was a flimsy excuse, but I had no intention of elaborating further. We made our way toward the parking lot, and as we approached the car, my body moved instinctively toward the passenger side.

Just as my fingers brushed the handle, the window slid down with a soft whir, revealing Claire Lancaster’s bright, smiling face.

Though our paths had never truly crossed before, her presence was unmistakable. The scent that wafted from her—syrupy sweet and entwined with Julian’s like vines around a tree—was something I had already committed to memory.

Julian, ever the picture of composure, offered a bland explanation. “Ran into an old friend,” he said, his tone casual. “We were just catching up.”

It was a harmless cover, neatly packaged to disguise whatever was really happening. But the bags he held—filled with familiar treats—told a different story. Among them, a box of chocolate chip cookies peeked out, a nostalgic reminder from our Academy days.

Cookies that were not sought after for their nutritional value, but rather for the affection they represented. The kind someone would risk climbing walls for, just to see a girl smile.

Claire pouted momentarily but quickly regained her composure. “That’s such a shame,” she said brightly, her tone dripping with false cheer. “Back when we were students, Julian used to sneak out just to buy these cookies for me!”

She laughed, lost in memories that she shared without any hint of shame, as if broadcasting her affection for Julian was a badge of honor.

“At first, he was such a rule-follower—top of his class, never breaking a single rule. But for these cookies, he actually learned to climb the Academy walls! Initially, he’d come back with scratches and bruises… but he improved over time, all because of me!”

Her words were coated with nostalgia, crafted meticulously to sting. She kept stealing glances into the rearview mirror, searching for any sign of a crack in my facade, but I offered her nothing.

I remained silent, my hands neatly folded in my lap, my gaze fixed on the window as my wolf curled tighter within me, both wounded and proud.

Claire let out a dramatic sigh, clearly frustrated by my lack of reaction. “You have such a sweet little Mate, Julian,” she remarked mockingly.

Julian chuckled lightly in response. “She’s very obedient,” he said, his words landing like a slap across my face.

Obedient.

My wolf didn’t even growl this time. She simply lay there, silent, as the Mate Bond between Julian and me frayed thread by thread.

I closed my eyes briefly, trying to block out the ache that threatened to overwhelm me.

The road stretched ahead, and with each mile, the distance between us grew—not just physically, but in every way that truly mattered.