Chapter 2

I fixed the collar of my shirt. I tied the bow around my neck and brushed my skirt a few times making sure it was not wrinkled anywhere. I loosened my shoulder-length hair. I put on some peachy lip balm which was as atypical as the combination of my black hair and transparent ocean blue eyes.

I hated to doll up before going to the academy. But I would always end up doing it. The academy was the only place where I could see him even if it was only for a split second.

I was a beta and training as a knight for the pack. But when it was revealed that I was the next Luna, I began taking lessons to fit into the Luna’s position. Hence, I would go to the academy once a week.

Though my wolf was a beta, her obsession for her mate was no different from other wolves. Surely Eris had abundant duties to follow, but still, my wolf cried for a bit of warmth from him.

When I stepped into the academy, I was showered by greetings and bows from both the wolves and the humans attending the academy. I was not the official Luna yet, but the amount of attention I received was impressive yet awkward for me at the same time.

The forced bows from the alpha wolves made me especially uncomfortable every time. After I was declared as the Luna, the alpha wolves attending the academy were not happy about accepting a beta as a Luna.

After stepping inside the academy, the first person who grabbed my attention was Liliana, smiling happily with a few of her classmates. Her long, black hair was shining in the morning rays. Her yellow skirt and white top matched her pale complexion. She looked like a lovely sunflower.

Suddenly my wolf growled avidly. I felt Eris coming from the opposite direction. I turned to come face to face with the most enticing features. Eris and his companions stopped noticing me.

His eyes were always so cold, yet they were so captivating to me. I wondered if it was due to the power of the mate bond, but his cold glares did not change even after catching mine.

I was aware. It was because I was a beta. I had no privilege to choose my mate apart from the fated one, unlike the alpha wolves. I believed it was the sole reason my wolf got excited beyond anything every time. But as he could choose his mate, he had full control over his wolf.

"How have you been?” I asked him, casually glowing. I tried to act natural, but my fingers were already intertwined with each other.

It had been years since it was revealed that he was my mate. It was not that we were close, but I chose to talk to him from the beginning to avoid being awkward.

"As usual,” he replied calmly. There was no change in his expression as always. He would always treat me with a lack of emotion. Still, deep inside I believed that someday he would open up to me. I was his mate after all. He would not be able to ignore his wolf forever.

The moment Liliana noticed him, she came over without any hesitation. Everyone in the academy acted agitated in front of Eris. He had created a barrier for everyone surrounding him, but that never applied to Liliana.

"Good morning, alpha,” Liliana greeted Eris and the other wolves with him.

She noticed me and bowed to me as well. "Morning, Luna!” she greeted me brightly. "It's been almost a month since I saw you two together. Why did you stop coming to the academy, Luna?” she asked me with puppy dog eyes.

I only smiled back awkwardly. We were not close for such conversations.

She pouted as if she missed me a lot. Then she showered us with her cheerful smile again, which was the reason why I could never dislike that girl properly.

The sudden glow in Eris's eyes did not go unnoticed though. The whole aura about Eris suddenly changed. For the first time in a while, I saw him smiling.

"Don't worry about things. She was just busy with her training,” he patted Liliana’s head lightly and replied.

I was his mate, but he would never touch me willfully. He would not even look at me properly. I felt an unusual tightness in my chest. My wolf was not happy.

A small scar was visible on Liliana's cheekbones near her orbit. Eris's hand came down to the place softly from her head. He touched the scar lightly.

"What happened?” he asked, frowning. Worries were written all over his face.

Liliana shivered slightly from the touch. Her cheeks turned red like fresh tomatoes. She was blushing awkwardly.

It was embarrassing for me in front of his companions. I had a scar visible on my wrist as well. It was something to be worried about as wolves could heal most of the minor injuries. Leaving a scar proved it to be nothing less than lethal.

Everyone knew it after all. He always had a soft spot for Liliana. But ignoring his mate completely in front of a human girl was humiliating.

I calmed my wolf strongly. I pretended to ignore the situation.

"I will take my leave then,” I said subduing my anger and humiliation from the plain negligence and turned to leave without expecting any reply. I pressed my lips together to keep myself calm. I was frustrated. But I did not want him to think that I was too keen.

Expecting that kind of warmth from my mate was the most rational thing to want in the world. But all of his warmth was for that girl alone. A few drops of tears fell from my eyes when I was sitting in an empty class.

His negligence towards me and taking care of her was not something new. But I was feeling an unusual tightness in my chest. It was Liliana's 18th birthday in less than a month.

Everyone undoubtedly was preparing for that day. The greatest war in history could take place after she turned eighteen.

But not just the expected war with Chris Wentworth and the vampires. Something else was also on the way. I felt something that day in the academy.

"Did you feel it?” my wolf asked me in my mind. The tears were running down continuously. I felt like my chest would rip apart from the pain.

"He is planning to reject me, isn’t he?” I asked my wolf.

"He is,” my wolf replied. "I was certain about it from his wolf today. When that human turns eighteen, he is planning to reject you as the Luna.”

I had predicted this for a long time. Still, I pretended not to notice. I had faith in our bond. I believed that if I kept trying, he would finally break the shell towards me.

“Let's run away,” my wolf suggested.

I wiped my eyes with the back of my palms. I got up. “I cannot!” I denied my wolf. “Even if he rejects me, I cannot abandon the pack before the inevitable war that I’ve been preparing for my whole life.”

I couldn't bring an end to my conversation with my wolf because I saw a shadow approaching over my head. There was a familiar smell of lotus. I looked up to meet the most beautiful pair of eyes.

"Can we talk?” Eris asked flatly. His gaze was as cold as before.

I nodded. Soon he started walking. I followed him. Everyone seemed curious. But no one had the guts to look deep into the personal matter of the Lycan and his mate.

He brought me to the roof. My heart was pounding crazily. I was nervous. I kept gripping the sides of my skirts nervously.

He leaned back slowly into the desk behind him crossing his arms in the most attractive position. He looked directly into my eyes.

“You need to leave,” he said calmly.

I was puzzled for a moment. "What?” I asked, confused.

"I cannot take you as my mate anymore. I have made necessary preparations for you to survive freely and lavishly outside the pack.” He said everything so calmly as if it was the most natural thing to say.

I was angry and sad indeed. My wolf was mad as well. I took a deep breath. I always heard rumors about the moment when a wolf was rejected. People always described it so dramatically. But nothing like that happened to me.

"Are you rejecting me?” I took a deep breath and asked as calmly as possible.

"I don't want to call this a rejection. If I do, you will have to go rogue according to the pack rules,” he said effortlessly without changing his gesture.

“What is different here?” I clenched my fists and asked him, lowering my gaze.

He seemed taken aback for a moment. He got up and fixed his tie around his neck.

“I am taking your responsibility,” he replied calmly.

“I do not want that,” I looked up and our eyes met. "I do not want this to be one way either. I too am freeing you from this meaningless bond. I do not want you to be my mate either,” I declared determinedly. My insides were hurting but I did not want him to think that I was weak.

He frowned a bit. His face was saying that he did not expect such a reply.

“It is mutual then,” he said. “There is no reason left for you to deny this opportunity, I believe. I will make preparations for you to leave the pack tonight,” he said.

“I don't need your protection to survive.” I pursed my lips. He was getting on my nerves. "You don't have to do anything for me. Just let me stay in the pack and fight for it. I have prepared my whole life for this,” I requested.

"That's against the pack rules. I feel sorry for you, but you have only two options to choose from. Take the opportunity tonight and leave independently without any worries or wait to be declared as a rogue by your packmates,” he said calmly.

I was stunned by his remarks. He just brushed off everything from his shoulders so easily, including the past two and a half years, as if they meant nothing to him.

“Let's leave,” my wolf growled inside angrily.

I lost my self-control after he left. I thumped the desk in front of me so hard that it broke, but it was not enough to calm my anger.

"Let's leave!” my wolf repeated.

At that moment I decided that I would let go of my responsibilities and leave the pack for good. I wanted to teach him a lesson, but it was impossible for a beta like me. The best I could do was not give him the pleasure of doing everything his way.