Rejected Luna Claims Her Power

The familiar scent of home should have filled me with warmth as I stepped off the plane at Silver Creek Airport. Instead, my wolf remained eerily silent, that hollow ache in my chest growing stronger with each passing day. For months now, I hadn't been able to detect Malik's scent through our mate bond, and the fear that I might be wolfless gnawed at me constantly.

I clutched my research portfolio tighter, excitement bubbling through my exhaustion. Two years of groundbreaking work on pack territorial sustainability—work that would revolutionize how werewolf communities managed their lands. Malik would be so proud. The pack would finally see that their Luna's time abroad hadn't been wasted.

The arrival lounge buzzed with the usual chaos of travelers and families reuniting. I scanned the crowd for Malik's tall frame, my heart racing with anticipation. He didn't know I was coming home early—I'd wanted to surprise him.

Then I saw him.

Malik stood near the large windows, his powerful silhouette unmistakable even from across the terminal. But he wasn't alone. A woman with auburn hair cascaded down her back pressed against his chest, her face tilted up toward his with intimate familiarity. His arms encircled her protectively, possessively, in a way that made my blood freeze.

My portfolio slipped from numb fingers, papers scattering across the polished floor.

The woman turned slightly, and my world shattered completely. Teagan. My best friend Teagan, whose rogue family I'd personally vouched for when she'd begged to join Silver Moon Pack. Teagan, who'd sent me cheerful messages throughout my research program, asking about my work and telling me how much everyone missed me.

Teagan, who was very obviously pregnant.

And wearing my Luna jewelry—the silver moonstone necklace that had belonged to Malik's mother, passed down through generations of Silver Moon Lunas.

My legs moved without conscious thought, carrying me across the terminal floor. Other travelers blurred past me as tunnel vision narrowed my world to the two figures by the window. Each step felt like walking through quicksand, reality reshaping itself with every heartbeat.

"Malik." My voice cracked on his name.

He turned, and for a split second, I saw something flicker across his face—guilt, maybe, or surprise. But it vanished so quickly I might have imagined it. His expression hardened into the cold mask of an Alpha making an uncomfortable but necessary decision.

"Journey." He didn't release Teagan, didn't step away from her. If anything, his arm tightened around her waist. "You're early."

Teagan's green eyes met mine over Malik's shoulder, and I searched desperately for some sign of the friend I'd trusted, the woman I'd welcomed into my pack like a sister. Instead, I found something that made my stomach lurch—satisfaction. She was practically glowing with it.

"I wanted to surprise you." The words came out barely above a whisper. "I finished the research ahead of schedule. The territorial sustainability protocols—they're revolutionary, Malik. They could change everything for our pack."

He didn't react to my achievement, didn't show