Rejected Luna's Return

Synopsis

The familiar scent of pine and wildflowers that once welcomed me home now felt like a slap across the face. Five years abroad managing pack alliances for the Shadowmoon territory, and this was my welcome? Not a single pack member waiting at the border. No ceremonial escort to the Alpha's mansion. Just silence and the distant sound of celebration from the pack grounds. I straightened my spine, a habit from years of royal posture training that I'd tried to break. "They're probably just busy with preparations for the mating ceremony," I told myself, though my wolf, Selene, growled in disagreement. *Something's wrong,* she whispered in my mind. *Where is our mate?* "He's probably surprised we arrived early," I murmured, trying to ignore the knot forming in my stomach. As I approached the main gathering area, the sounds grew clearer—music, laughter, cheers. Through the trees, I could see dozens of pack members dressed in their finest clothes, surrounding a raised platform where a figure stood in a flowing silver dress. "—and to celebrate our Alpha's