Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 95: Love And Secret

**Theo's POV**

I paused at the door, my hand resting on the wood, and glanced back at Tiana. She’d pulled away from me, her eyes were fixed on nothing in particular.

"Are you alright?" I asked

"Yes, I am. Why?" she replied quickly, but I caught the hesitation in her tone.

"You seem to be thinking about a lot," I murmured, kissing the top of her head.

She shifted slightly, avoiding my gaze. I could see right through her. She knew that. But she wasn’t ready to let me in yet, I could tell. She had secrets, and I couldn’t blame her for not sharing them all at once. I could wait, but it didn’t mean it didn’t hurt. Especially when she was going to be my Luna in two days.

"Is something bothering you?" I asked.

She was silent for a really long while, her eyes flickering to the side. There was something about this whole situation—the dinner, that made her uneasy. I couldn’t shake the feeling she wasn’t ready to tell me everything yet.

"No," she said finally, a lie slipping past her lips. She forced a smile that didn’t reach her eyes. "I’m fine, really. Just the nerves of the coming ceremony."

I raised an eyebrow, not convinced, but I kept my silence. I pulled her back into my embrace, holding her tighter this time. I pulled away after a while and I could still see the worry flickering in her eyes.

"We should prepare," I said gently, stepping back toward the door. "The Moonstone Pack is here earlier than expected, and we need to be ready for dinner. Make sure you have everything you need for tonight."

She nodded silently but her mind was clearly elsewhere. After a brief pause, I turned and walked away.

My mind was far from calm. I hadn’t shown Tiana how much her tension had affected me, but I couldn’t stop thinking about it. Something was off. The way her body stiffened when I mentioned the dinner, and the way she seemed distant all pointed to something she wasn’t telling me.

And then there was Elara.

I couldn’t get rid of the thought of the letter tucked inside my robe. The one with truths I wasn’t sure how to share with Tiana. She had to know, but how? When? I couldn’t risk losing her trust, but time was slipping away, and the Moonstone Pack had arrived earlier than expected.

Shaking my head, I pushed the thoughts aside as I reached my door.

Tiana's POV

The door clicked shut behind him, and I walked towards my bedside, staring out the window as my mind began to face.

I stood there in silence long after Theo had left, my thoughts a tangled mess. He had kissed my forehead, told me everything would be fine, and left to prepare for dinner, but I was still standing by the window, staring at nothing in particular. My fingers tremble slightly, brushing over the fabric of my dress as if it could ground me.

I should’ve told him. I knew I should’ve. The secret was pressing down on me, suffocating me more with every passing second. Why had I lied to him? What was I even trying to protect? He would find out tonight at the dinner anyway.

The Moonstone Pack, Derek, my father… It was all going to come to light. I couldn’t keep pretending that everything was fine. Theo was going to find out, and when he did, I didn’t know what would happen.

Would he understand? Would he still want me, or would he think I betrayed him by keeping things from him?

I leaned my forehead against the cool glass of the window, closing my eyes, trying to calm the storm in my mind. I wanted to tell him everything, wanted to spill the truth before it ate me alive, but how could I? How could I admit that I had been hiding something so important from him? He deserved honesty, and yet I had allowed fear to cloud my judgment.

Fear of losing him, fear of what he might think.

But I had no more time to run from it. Tonight would force my hand. There would be no hiding when the Moonstone Pack arrived for dinner, and Derek would be there, sitting at that table with us. It was a matter of when, not if, and the thought of him finding out in such a public setting made my stomach churn.

What if the bond I had before with Derek began to tug? Could I handle the pain or hide it from everyone?

With a shaky breath, I turned away from the window, pacing across the room as my thoughts spiralled.

He would be disappointed. I could see it in his eyes now—the way he looked at me, the care in his voice when he asked if something was wrong. He wasn’t blind, he knew there was more to this. He could tell I was holding something back, and I couldn’t keep running from it.

I just wanted everything to be okay.

But I couldn’t live in this lie anymore.

I had to tell him. Tonight. Before everything got worse with me being in the same room as Derek.

The door opened suddenly, and a plethora of maids walked in and began to doll me up. I barely even paid attention to them when they asked me questions about what I preferred. How would I even begin? Would I just blurt it out? Or would I wait for the right moment?

But who was I kidding? There was no “right” moment for something like this.

All I knew was that I had to tell him before the dinner started.

I exhaled slowly, walking over to the small vanity and looking at my reflection in the mirror once the maids were done. I didn’t recognize the woman staring back at me. She seemed strong, confident, classy and beautiful. Inside, I was anything but that.

If I didn’t tell him tonight, if I let this lie of what I had with Derek stay any longer, I didn’t know if I could face him again.

I need to find the courage to speak. To be honest with him. To let him in.

Because if I didn’t, I was terrified I might lose him before we even had a chance to begin.