The Reborn Luna: Claimed by the Billionaire Alpha

Chapter 2: The Chains of Fate

The silence stretched, heavy and unyielding.

Selene had rejected Damon.

The words still hung in the air like a death sentence, and she could feel the weight of every single gaze locked onto her, their disbelief suffocating. No one had ever seen a wolf reject their fated mate—especially not the Alpha.

Yet, here she stood, her heart steady, her resolve unshaken.

Damon's golden eyes burned with raw emotion. Rage. Confusion. Pain.

"Say that again," he said, his voice low, threatening.

Selene met his gaze without flinching. "I reject you as my mate."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Some gasped in shock, others whispered among themselves.

Damon's hands clenched into fists. His entire body tensed, the veins in his neck bulging as he fought against the instinct to dominate the situation.

"You don't mean that," he growled.

Selene inhaled slowly. She had meant it. Every word.

"I do."

His golden eyes darkened further, swirling with a storm of emotions. "I don't accept your rejection."

She expected that. Of course, he wouldn't. The mate bond couldn't be severed unless both wolves agreed, and Damon was the type of Alpha who never accepted defeat.

Selene's wolf whimpered at the bond's strain, but she ignored it. She had already died once because of this connection. She wouldn't be foolish enough to let it ruin her again.

She turned on her heel to walk away, but before she could take a step, a strong hand seized her wrist.

Damon.

The moment his skin touched hers, the bond roared to life—an undeniable force pulling them together, threatening to swallow her whole.

Selene's breath hitched, but she forced herself to stay still, to fight the instinct to submit.

"Let go," she said coldly.

Damon's grip tightened for a fraction of a second before he slowly released her, though his expression remained stormy. "You're mine, Selene."

"No." She met his glare head-on. "I was yours in another life. Not anymore."

His brows furrowed at her words, as if he had heard something strange in them.

Selene turned away before he could question it further.

And then… another presence stirred the air.

The scent of cold steel and midnight.

Selene didn't have to turn to know who it was. Killian Blackwood.

The rogue with silver eyes.

The moment he stepped forward, the atmosphere shifted.

Damon straightened, his muscles coiled with tension. His golden gaze flickered toward Killian, filled with open hostility.

"What the hell do you want?" Damon snarled.

Killian smirked. "She rejected you." He tilted his head toward Selene. "That means she's free, doesn't it?"

A collective gasp rose from the gathered wolves.

Damon's aura darkened, power rolling off him in thick waves. "She's still my mate."

"She's made it clear she doesn't want to be," Killian countered smoothly. His silver eyes flickered with something dangerous. "And from what I can see, she's already made her choice."

Selene's heart pounded as Killian's words sank in. Was he… claiming her?

Damon let out a snarl. "Stay out of this, rogue."

Killian chuckled. "Or what?"

The tension between them reached a breaking point. Wolves shifted uneasily, sensing an impending fight.

Selene knew she needed to act before blood spilled.

She turned to Damon one last time. "This is the last time I'll say it." Her voice was calm, but firm. "Let me go."

Damon's jaw clenched so hard she thought his teeth might crack. His eyes burned into hers, filled with fury, regret, and something close to desperation.

But in the end, he said nothing.

Selene turned and walked toward the only person who had defended her.

Killian.

The rogue offered her his hand. His silver eyes gleamed with something unreadable.

Selene hesitated only for a second before placing her hand in his.

And together, they disappeared into the night.

---

A Future Unknown

The night air was cold, carrying the scent of pine and damp earth as Selene followed Killian through the dense forest. Her mind raced with everything that had just happened.

She had done the unthinkable.

She had rejected her fated mate.

And now, she was leaving her pack behind.

For the first time in two lifetimes, she was stepping into the unknown.

Killian led her deeper into the woods, his movements silent and effortless. He was a rogue—used to moving undetected.

Selene, however, wasn't.

She stumbled slightly on an exposed root, but Killian caught her wrist, steadying her before she could fall. His touch was brief, but she felt it—the strange pull that had nothing to do with the mate bond and everything to do with… something else.

"Where are we going?" she finally asked.

Killian didn't look at her as he continued walking. "Somewhere safe."

Selene exhaled. "That's not an answer."

Killian glanced over his shoulder, a smirk playing at his lips. "And yet, it's the only one I'm giving you."

She scowled but didn't press further.

For now, she had no choice but to trust him.

Eventually, they emerged into a clearing. A small cabin sat at the center, nestled between towering trees. It looked worn, but sturdy—like it had stood against time itself.

Killian pushed open the door and gestured for her to enter.

Selene hesitated.

She didn't know this man.

She had rejected one bond only to walk straight into the company of someone who was just as dangerous—if not more.

But she had made her choice.

She stepped inside.

The cabin was simple—wooden floors, a fireplace, a small kitchen, and a single chair pushed up against a worn table. A large bed sat in the corner, and across from it was a second pile of blankets.

"Stay here tonight," Killian said, closing the door behind them. "We'll talk in the morning."

Selene folded her arms. "I didn't agree to stay with you."

Killian smirked, leaning against the doorframe. "And yet, here you are."

Her scowl deepened.

He wasn't wrong.

She was alone in the world now. And whether she liked it or not, she needed help.

With a heavy sigh, she moved toward the pile of blankets and sat down.

Killian watched her for a moment before turning away.

"Get some sleep, little wolf." His voice was softer than before. "You'll need your strength for what's coming."

Selene frowned. "And what's coming?"

Killian's silver eyes gleamed in the firelight.

"War."

Her blood ran cold.

She had rejected Damon. Broken fate itself.

And the consequences were just beginning.

Selene sat in the dimly lit cabin, the warmth of the fire doing little to chase away the cold that had settled deep in her bones.

She had expected anger from Damon.

Expected resistance.

But what she hadn't expected was Killian Blackwood stepping in.

She stole a glance at the rogue across the room. He sat in a wooden chair, leaning back with his arms folded, watching her with an unreadable expression.

He hadn't said much since they arrived. Just led her through the dark forest, guiding her here like he had always known she would come.

She still didn't know why.

She cleared her throat. "Why did you help me back there?"

Killian's silver eyes flickered toward her, amusement glinting in their depths. "Does it matter?"

She frowned. "Of course, it matters. You put yourself in danger. Damon is—"

"An arrogant Alpha who doesn't take rejection well?" Killian cut in smoothly. "Yeah, I figured that part out myself."

Selene exhaled sharply. "You provoked him."

Killian's lips twitched into a smirk. "And yet, we're here. Safe. So what's the problem?"

"The problem," she said slowly, "is that you just made an enemy of one of the strongest Alphas in the region."

Killian shrugged. "I have plenty of enemies. One more won't make a difference."

Selene studied him. He was too calm—too at ease for someone who had just gone against an Alpha as powerful as Damon.

Who exactly was Killian Blackwood?

Rogues didn't usually interfere in pack affairs. They were outcasts, wanderers, shunned by society. And yet, Killian had stepped in—without hesitation.

Selene narrowed her eyes. "You knew, didn't you?"

He raised a brow. "Knew what?"

"That I would reject him."

Killian's smirk widened, but he said nothing.

Her pulse quickened. "You were watching me."

Killian chuckled. "You're just now figuring that out?"

Selene's stomach twisted. How long had he been tracking her? And more importantly—why?

She pushed herself to her feet. "I don't trust you."

Killian remained seated, unbothered by her sudden movement. "You don't have to."

Her jaw clenched. "Then why did you bring me here?"

This time, Killian's smirk faded. His expression turned serious, his silver eyes darkening. "Because you're not safe out there, little wolf."

Selene stiffened.

He wasn't talking about Damon.

"What do you mean?" she asked, her voice quieter now.

Killian leaned forward, resting his elbows on his knees. "Do you really think rejecting your fated mate is where this ends?"

She swallowed hard.

He continued, his voice softer but no less intense. "You disrupted the natural order, Selene. Wolves don't reject their mates. The bond doesn't just disappear because you say so. You felt it back there, didn't you?"

Selene had felt it. That agonizing pull, the way her wolf had whimpered in protest. Even now, a dull ache throbbed in her chest.

Killian's gaze sharpened. "You just declared war against fate itself."

A shiver ran down her spine.

She had known rejecting Damon wouldn't be easy—but she hadn't considered what it might mean beyond him.

"I don't regret it," she whispered, more to herself than to him.

Killian tilted his head. "You shouldn't."

She looked up at him, surprised by his words. "You don't believe in the mate bond?"

Killian's silver eyes gleamed. "I believe in choices."

Selene exhaled, sitting back down. "What happens now?"

Killian studied her for a long moment before speaking.

"Now, we prepare."

"For what?"

His next words sent ice through her veins.

"For the war that's coming."

---

The Hunt Begins

The following morning, Selene woke to the scent of smoke and pine.

For a brief moment, she forgot where she was. The worn blankets, the wooden cabin—it was so different from the luxurious packhouse she had once called home.

Then it all came rushing back.

She had rejected Damon.

And there was no going back.

She sat up, stretching her sore muscles. Killian was nowhere to be seen, but the faint scent of charred wood told her he had been up before her.

Selene stood and walked toward the cabin door. When she stepped outside, the cool morning air greeted her. The sun was just beginning to rise, casting golden light over the treetops.

That was when she heard it—the howls.

Not just one. Multiple.

Selene's stomach twisted.

They had found her.

Killian emerged from the shadows, his expression unreadable. "Time to go."

Selene hesitated. "Damon?"

Killian nodded. "And his wolves."

She exhaled sharply. She had known he wouldn't just let her walk away—but she had hoped for more time.

Killian tossed her a dagger. She caught it instinctively.

"You're a fighter, right?" he asked.

She nodded.

Killian smirked. "Good. Then fight."

Without another word, he turned, leading her through the dense trees.

The howls grew louder, closer.

Selene tightened her grip on the dagger.

She wasn't running.

She was fighting for her freedom.

And she would never bow to fate again.

---

Damon's Pursuit

Damon had never felt such rage before.

He had always known Selene was stubborn, but this? This was unacceptable.

His wolf howled inside him, furious, wounded.

He had felt the rejection like a blade to the chest. The bond still clung to him, refusing to break because he hadn't accepted it.

And he wouldn't.

Selene was his.

His Beta, Marcus, appeared beside him, his nose to the ground. "They were here."

Damon's jaw clenched. "Then we keep going."

His wolves surged forward, tracking her scent.

He didn't care what it took.

He would find her.

And when he did, she would understand that she didn't get to leave him.

Not now.

Not ever.

---

A Future Unwritten

Selene could feel them getting closer.

Her heart pounded as she and Killian ran through the dense forest, their movements quick and silent.

She knew Damon better than anyone.

He wasn't coming to negotiate.

He was coming to claim what he thought belonged to him.

But she wasn't his anymore.

Killian stopped abruptly, holding up a hand. "Wait."

Selene skidded to a halt. "What—"

Before she could finish, he pulled her behind a tree, pressing a finger to his lips.

Then she heard it—footsteps.

Selene barely had time to react before a figure stepped into view.

Marcus.

Damon's Beta.

He was alone.

But that didn't mean the others weren't nearby.

Marcus inhaled deeply, his sharp blue eyes locking onto them. "Found you."

Killian moved first.

In a blur, he lunged, striking faster than Selene had thought possible. Marcus barely had time to react before Killian's blade was pressed against his throat.

Selene's breath caught.

She had seen Killian fight before, but never like this.

Marcus gritted his teeth. "Damon's coming."

Killian smirked. "Then we better not keep him waiting."

Selene met Marcus's gaze. "Tell him I won't go back."

Marcus sneered. "You think you have a choice?"

Selene's expression hardened.

"I know I do."

And she would never let anyone take it from her again.