Claiming the Rejected Luna

Chapter 11:

Damon’s POV

Aria was asleep, somewhere on the other side of the pack house, and every inch of space between us felt wrong. Unnatural. Like we were out of sync. I knew it was probably paranoia, the kind that only shows up when the stakes are too high and the risks too close. But it didn’t matter—my wolf was restless, pacing the edges of my mind, irritated that our mate was too far away for his liking. I wanted to be close, to make sure she was safe. And maybe, just maybe, to convince myself that we weren’t completely in over our heads. But we both knew better.

Tonight had been a parade of revelations—everything from blood curses to ancient mistakes and one annoyingly determined vampire named Demetri. That letter had been bad news in every language, a warning as clear as it was troubling. But here I was, pacing outside her door, knowing damn well that this wasn’t something I could keep to myself.

It was time for backup, even if I hated to admit it.

Alpha, I mindlinked my father, keeping my voice steady even though I could feel the tension bubbling under the surface. I need to see you and the Luna immediately. It’s... confidential. I’ll meet you in your office.

There was a pause, and then his response came through, clipped but calm. On our way.

I hesitated outside Aria’s door, closing my eyes and letting my senses tune in to the soft, steady sound of her breathing. She was safe, asleep, and maybe it was wishful thinking, but just knowing that gave me something close to relief. She deserved peace, even if it was only for tonight. But none of that was guaranteed—not with Demetri hunting her down like some prize. And that was something I couldn’t risk.

My parents were waiting for me by the time I made it to my father’s office. The heavy wooden door was ajar, and as I stepped inside, I couldn’t help but notice how small the space seemed now. I remembered sneaking peeks into this room as a kid, wondering what kind of secrets were discussed here. Now it felt like I was standing on the other side of those secrets, about to drop a bomb of my own.

My father’s gaze met mine, and he immediately picked up on the tension. My mother, the Luna, had the same look, the kind that was all compassion mixed with an edge of steel. They didn’t know the details yet, but they knew enough to understand this wasn’t a conversation anyone walked away from unchanged.

“Damon,” my father said, voice steady, assessing. “What’s going on?”

I leaned against the desk, crossing my arms as I took a slow breath. “It’s about Aria,” I started, feeling the weight of every word that was about to follow. “And me.” I paused, letting it sink in. “She’s my fated mate.”

There was a flicker of recognition between them. My mother’s expression softened, and a faint, knowing smile touched her lips. “I can’t say I’m surprised,” she said quietly. “We’ve always felt a deeper connection with her. More than just an adopted pup.”

My father’s gaze hardened, not with anger but with purpose. “Go on,” he said, his voice low but urging.

“Aria’s heritage isn’t what we thought,” I replied, pulling out the letter and setting it on the desk between us. “She’s not just anyone. She’s Tabitha Black’s granddaughter.”

Their reactions were immediate. My mother’s hand flew to her mouth, eyes wide, while my father’s face shifted, his jaw tightening as he stared down at the letter. It was like watching them both process a slow-motion car crash.

“Tabitha Black,” my father repeated, his voice barely more than a whisper. “So... this Demetri... he’s after her?”

I nodded, feeling the weight of it pressing down on all of us. “He’s more than ‘after’ her,” I replied, my tone flat. “According to this letter, he’s one of her fated mates.”

My mother closed her eyes for a moment, absorbing the shock. “But does he know it’s her?”

“No,” I replied, my jaw tightening. “At least, not yet. He has a general idea, a rough radius, but nothing specific. It’s only a matter of time before he figures it out.”

The silence that followed was tense, heavy. We all knew what that meant. Demetri wasn’t exactly the type to take no for an answer, and if he figured out that Aria was here, it wouldn’t end well. My mother looked at me, her gaze full of worry but also something more. Determination.

“Damon, if she’s your mate, then we’ll protect her. She’s one of us,” she said firmly. “And the pack will stand with her, with you.”

I nodded, the faintest sense of relief trickling in. “Then we need a plan. The Blood Moon is next week, and if we’re going to do this, it needs to happen before then. I need her marked. Claimed. She’s too exposed right now, and we can’t afford to wait.”

My father’s expression hardened, a flicker of understanding in his eyes. “Then we bring in the most trusted. Your Beta, and a few of our most loyal pack members. No one else.”

The thought of telling Drake gnawed at me. He’d been my best friend, my Beta, but lately, things had been... complicated. After rejecting Aria, his connection to her had faded, but I knew it wasn’t a clean break. He was a walking reminder of how fragile the bond could be. And now, having to tell him about Aria and me felt like throwing salt into a wound that hadn’t even had time to close.

My father’s voice cut through my thoughts. “Drake deserves to know, but he’ll need time to accept this.”

“Time’s not exactly our luxury right now,” I muttered. “But I’ll bring him up to speed.”

My father nodded, and his expression shifted, more contemplative. “There’s also someone we can call on for help. A witch from New Orleans. She’s skilled with protection spells and powerful enough to ward off most tracking magic. She’ll be here by morning.”

“Witches from New Orleans,” I repeated, a smirk tugging at my lips. “This keeps getting better.”

My mother gave a faint, ironic smile. “It’s a risk, but if she can help shield Aria, we’ll have some breathing room. And if we can buy even a day’s worth of safety, it’ll be worth it.”

I nodded, the plan settling into place. “Then let’s bring Drake in.”

My mother and father exchanged a glance, a hint of caution in their eyes. They understood how delicate this was, and the last thing anyone wanted was for a wound to be torn open.

Closing my eyes, I reached out to Drake through the pack link, focusing on his presence. I could feel his exhaustion, the heaviness that had been weighing on him since the rejection. Drake, I mindlinked him, keeping my tone neutral. Meet me in my father’s office. We’ve got something we need to talk about.

There was a pause, then his response came back, tired but steady. On my way.

A few moments later, the door creaked open, and Drake stepped inside, looking worse than I’d ever seen him. Shadows under his eyes, shoulders slumped, and a tiredness that seemed to seep from him. I didn’t have to guess what was causing it. The rejection had taken its toll on him, ripping away pieces he probably didn’t know he had.

He glanced between my parents and me, his eyes questioning but wary. “What’s going on?”

I crossed my arms, my tone calm but direct. “Drake, there’s no easy way to say this, so I’ll keep it simple. Aria and I... we’re fated mates.”

For a second, he just stared at me, his expression frozen, like he hadn’t quite processed what I’d just said. Slowly, the realization set in, and his face shifted, the color draining as his shoulders tightened.

“Fated mates?” he repeated, his voice barely a whisper. “Why... why didn’t anyone tell me?”

I took a steadying breath, keeping my tone controlled. “Because it wasn’t clear until recently. When Aria first shifted, she saw you before me. The bond formed with you, stronger than anything we could explain. It wasn’t until you rejected her that we realized the truth.”

His eyes darkened, and I could see the pain flash across his face, raw and open. “So you knew? You both knew, and no one bothered to tell me?”

I clenched my jaw, feeling the familiar tug of frustration, the anger mixed with pity. He wasn’t wrong to feel hurt, but I couldn’t give him the answers he wanted. Not without ripping open wounds neither of us were ready to handle.