Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 50: Princess Elara Is My Mate

**Theo's POV**

After dinner, some servants guided the Lycan royals to settle into their guest quarters. I found myself walking aimlessly through the palace corridors with Peter by my side. My mind was a storm of confusion and sadness. Tiana... What would this mean for her? How could I even begin to process the idea of having a mate when my heart was already leaning toward someone else?

I felt heartbroken because I had been praying to the moon goddess to grant me, Tiana as my mate. It was sad that the goddess had other plans for me.

Elara had given me a look before walking away from the dining hall, a look that held a mix of disdain and something else I couldn't quite place. It was unsettling. I wanted to reject her as my mate, but the political implications were daunting. If her father knew she had rejected me, it could cause significant problems with the Lycans. The last thing we needed was for the Lycans not to be allies with us. They were powerful and brutal. Getting mated to their daughter was something every werewolf would have wanted because of the powerful alliance it came with. It would also be good for them as we were descendants of the first werewolf. We were full and pure-blooded wolves. There was a thirty percent possibility that if I mated with the Lycan princess, we would birth a full Lycan heir depending on what chromosomes crossed. Otherwise, we would be having half Lycan half wolf.

It was a good thing for the Lycan because the danger of their extinction was slimmer. Even if we had half-Lycan half-wolf children, if they were to be mated with another half-Lycan half-wolf, they could have a fifty percent chance of having a full Lycan child.

If I were to reject her on the other hand, my father would be displeased and I knew the Lycans would find a way to retaliate at the humiliation of having their princess rejected by me. Also, if I rejected her, what were the chances that Tiana was to be my second chance mate? What if the moon goddess made my second chance mate another person? Would I then reject the person?

"Hey, Theo," Peter's voice broke through my thoughts. "You seem really out of it. What’s going on?"

I stopped walking and turned to face him, my expression conflicted. "Peter, I need to tell you something. You can't tell anyone until I have made my decision."

"Your decision? What decision do you have to make?"

"I have found my mate..." I trailed off suggestively.

"Oh my!" He looked genuinely happy for me. "Who is she?"

"Elara... The Lycan princess. She's my mate."

Peter's eyes widened in surprise. "Wow, really? Are you going to accept her then?"

I shook my head, feeling the weight of my dilemma pressing down on me. "I don't know, Peter. I really want to, but I don't know how to reject her without causing trouble with the Lycans."

Peter put a reassuring hand on my shoulder. "Theo, you need to do what you think is right. I know it's complicated, but you have to follow your heart."

"Following my heart isn't as simple as it sounds," I muttered. "There are too many factors at play here."

"I do not like her much but personally, I feel you should accept her. Humiliating the Lycans..." He trailed off. "But like I said, follow your heart. That's what matters."

"If I accept Elara as my mate, do you know what that means for Tiana?" I asked him. "She will no longer fit in. The reason why she fits in so well and feels at home is because I have her back. I have her back so the rest of the royal family and council have accepted her. If I accept Elara..."

"And Elara doesn't accept her," Peter continued for me.

"She'll have nowhere to go. And as someone who is mated to Elara, my feelings for her have to be pushed aside."

"Even if Elara accepts for her to continue in the pack, the moment she discovers that you have had feelings for Tiana... That would not go well."

"I'm just so confused," I sighed. Everything in me wanted to reject her but I could not disappoint my father that way. "You know what?"

"What?"

"I will have a discussion with her tomorrow," I said. "Try to know how she feels about being my mate."

"That's a good idea I suppose," Peter shrugged.

We continued walking in silence, each of us lost in our own thoughts. The corridors seemed longer than usual, and the palace felt like somewhere I was trapped in. When we finally reached my chambers, I bid Peter goodnight and opened the door to my room, hoping to just fall on my bed and sleep so I could evade the thoughts and worry in my head.

I jumped in surprise as I saw Elara sitting on my bed, her legs crossed. Her green eyes locked onto mine with an intensity that sent a shiver down my spine.

"Good evening," I greeted her, trying to keep my voice steady. "What are you doing here?"

Her reply was sharp and cutting. "You are painfully weak."

I stood there, frozen, her words echoing in my mind. Now, standing in my room with Elara’s piercing gaze fixed on me, I felt exposed and vulnerable. Her accusation also made me slightly annoyed.

"Why are you here?" I asked, trying to regain some semblance of control.

"I came to see what kind of man you are," she said, her tone icy. "And I must say, I am disappointed."

I bristled at her words, feeling a surge of defensiveness. "You barely know me. How can you judge me so quickly?"

She stood up, her movements fluid and graceful. "I can see it in your eyes, in the way you carry yourself. You are conflicted and weak. You are not fit to be my mate.”