Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 90: A Second Chance

**Derek's POV**

"Tiana is forgiving in nature... Just like her mother," Ealy Neville said. "I do hope that she will find it in her heart to forgive us."

"We don't know how deep her resentment goes," I sighed, walking out of the door— I needed to clear my head. I was not ready to accept that Tiana was likely to be mated to Theodore Romano but who was I to object to their union? I had been the one to reject her so it was stupid to want her back, but I couldn't help it.

I walked through the door we had taken to get to this expanse, and noticed that her scent was getting stronger. My heart felt like it was ripping out of my chest. I clutched it tightly, leaning against the wall. It became increasingly difficult for me to breathe and move, but I could not ignore the pull.

Sighing and taking in a long breath, I moved away from the wall and climbed up the winding staircase. Her scent became stronger and then I saw her, seated on the ground, holding her chest in pain while tears streamed from her face.

I rushed forward and upon hearing my footsteps, she looked up— her eyes widening in surprise.

"Tiana," I said in a hoarse voice.

"What... What are you doing here?" She managed to choke out, still clutching her chest.

"I'm sorry," I whispered, squatting till I was on the same level with her. "I didn't mean to hurt you that way."

"You need to leave."

"Tiana—"

"I don't want to see you here. I want you to leave."

"I'm here to represent my pack— our pack." I held her face to make her look me in the eye.

"I'm not a member of your pack," she hissed sharply, slapping my hand away from her face. "Don't you dare touch me?"

"Tiana please," I mumbled. "Don't do this to me."

"Get lost. I have a mate who loves me now, and I will get married to him. I will become his Luna and unlike you, he does not care that I don't have a wolf. He doesn't care that he doesn't know where I come from. His love for me is more than what the elders and the people say."

"Tiana, I need you to understand that I made a mistake and would take it all back if I could," I pleaded.

"But you can't," she said pointedly. "Now get out."

"Tell me, Tiana, do you love him?"

"That is none of your business. Leave me alone for the sake of the goddess." She yelled. I could tell from her eyes that she was broken beyond measure and she was breaking even more. The pain I saw could not be ignored. I wanted to leave, to stop her pain but I couldn't. It was as though I was glued to the spot.

"You don't, do you?"

"Well, jokes on you I actually do!" She spat, standing up, only to crash back down due to the pain. I managed to catch her mid-fall and steady her onto her feet. "I love Theo!"

"Do you love Theo or you just like the idea of him?" I asked her. "Do you love him or you just love how he makes you feel?"

"Get lost!" She yelled again. "Who are you to dictate to me who I love or who I don't love? How dare you show up here to question me? How should that be any of your business?"

"Tiana—"

"You made it clear to me a long time ago that I was never going to be enough for you. You chose my step-sister over me. Why are you here now acting like you care?"

"Because I regret it!" I yelled back. "I was stupid and proud and conceited and the moment I saw your note, I realized the mistake I made. I want you, Tiana."

"You can't have me Derek,' she said in a broken whisper. "I accepted that I wasn't enough for you long ago. And guess what, I'm glad you rejected me because I would have never known what love looks like."

"Your heart is breaking merely by me standing here," I told her. "You know what it looks like for someone to love you, but you don't love him even if you keep telling yourself that."

"I do," she spat.

"You don't. You only like how he makes you feel. The true mate bond you have is with me and not him."

"You are not the moon goddess, you do not know what she wants," she took some steps away from me. "You rejected me and she blessed me with another bond. The pain is only because our bond is just getting fully broken. I have accepted Theo to be my mate, I will be his queen and I will love him the way he loves me."

"Tiana, please. I need you in my life."

"And you are just realizing this after how many months?" She asked with a raise of her brows. "If you needed me, you would have searched for me. You're only saying this now because your father most likely found out the truth and is now pressuring you."

"It has nothing to do with that," I said defensively.

"Then tell me your father isn't pressuring you about a mate."

"What I feel for you has nothing to do with that, please," I begged, hoping that she would understand me.

"My mating ceremony is in two days, Derek. You are here to represent your pack so do so peacefully, stop trying to sabotage this."

"You can always choose not to move forward with it."

"Are you even listening to yourself?" She asked, with a scoff. She seemed as though she could slap me. "Call off a ceremony that we have spent weeks planning? Break the heart of the man who made me feel I was enough? Because of what? You?"

"Tiana…”

"You're despicable," she spat and sashayed off.