Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 96: Question And Truth

**Tiana’s POV**

"What do I even tell him?" I asked myself, circling the same spot twice. "And how do I tell him?"

"Okay, I'll just walk up to him and drop the bombshell. Derek was my mate before I came here, it can't be that hard right?" I asked myself.

I leaned against the nearest wall, rolling my eyes at myself. I was certain I looked crazy talking to myself. I really was glad there was no one within proximity.

"Theo... I wanted to let you know that I had a mate before and he rejected me... You're not my first— no that sounds wrong," I mumbled to myself, groaning.

"Theo... So dinner might be awkward because my mate before you is going to be present and— you know what, when I get to that bridge I'll cross it."

The corridor felt colder than usual as I walked towards Theo’s chambers, my heart pounding in my chest like a war drum. My gown brushed the marble floor with every step.

When I reached his door, I paused, taking a deep breath before knocking.

“Come in,” Theo’s called out.

I pushed the door open, and there he was, standing by the mirror, adjusting his robe. The sight of him stole my breath for a moment—broad shoulders, sharp jawline, and those piercing eyes that had a way of making me swoon.

“Tiana,” he said, turning to face me fully. His gaze softened when it landed on me, and he smiled but I could see that he was curious to know why I was here. “What’s wrong? You look... Stressed? Nervous?"

I stepped inside fully and closed the door behind me. My fingers clutched the hem of my dress in nervousness. "Theo,” I began, my voice trembling. He had never had reason to be angry at me or even annoyed so far so I wasn't sure how he was going to react to this and the thought that he could possibly be annoyed at me was tearing me up inside. “there’s something I need to tell you.”

His brows furrowed together and then he raised the left one. "Should I be scared?" He asked.

"Um," I said, swallowing hard. "I think I should be the scared one."

"Really?" He asked. It was as though he raised his brows higher. “What is it?”

“I... It’s about Derek.”

The moment I said his name, Theo’s expression changed. His eyes narrowed slightly, and he tensed up immediately— it was almost as if he suspected that there was some sort of romantic relationship (not like there had been any) between us.

Before I could say more, there was a knock at the door, followed by a muffled voice. “Your majesty, your attention is needed in the main hall. It’s urgent.”

Theo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose before turning back to me. “Tiana, I promise we’ll talk about this,” he said with a sigh. “But whatever it is, it’ll have to wait. We’re running late as it is.”

I nodded reluctantly, but also quite relieved that I didn't have to tell him just yet. I still was not prepared to reveal that Derek had been my mate and that the Moonstone pack was where I was from. “Alright,” I whispered.

“I’ll be back soon,” he said, brushing his lips against my forehead before striding out of the room.

The silence that followed was suffocating. I sank onto the edge of the bed, my hands gripping the fabric of my gown as I tried to calm the storm in my mind. I had been so close.

But now, I’d have to wait.

By the time Theo returned, the evening was already getting dark and it was almost time for the dinner to take place. The maids had come to check on me twice, fussing over last-minute touches to my hair and gown. When he walked back into the room, he looked somewhat annoyed and a little bit exhausted.

"Are you okay?" I asked, genuinely concerned about him.

“We’re running late,” he said, barely looking at me. He did not even answer my question— it was like I had not said anything to him.

"So, before I was going to um, tell you that—"

“Whatever you wanted to talk about, we’ll have to save it for after the dinner,” he said, avoiding my gaze.

I opened my mouth to protest but stopped myself. Now wasn’t the time. I nodded instead, standing and smoothing out the fabric of my dress. He seemed like he was not mentally prepared for whatever I had to tell him and I really could not blame him for that.

“Alright,” I said quietly.

He stepped closer, his hand brushing against mine. I could see a flicker of guilt in his eyes. "I want you to stay close to me," he said.

I nodded again, locking my hands in his and we walked out together and downstairs towards the dining hall we were to use.

The dining hall was alive with murmurs and the clinking of glasses as we arrived. All eyes turned to us the moment we stepped through the doors, and the room fell into an eerie silence.

I didn't look at any of the faces, I only stared straight ahead, holding Theo's arms tighter because I was not mentally prepared to acknowledge Derek even though it was inevitable to do so. We were going to have dinner together for at least an hour and as Luna, I had to be friendly with our allies.

Then came the gasps.

A ripple of shock spread through the room, whispers breaking out like wildfire. My stomach twisted, but I kept my expression neutral, my eyes fixed ahead.

“Is that her?”

“It can’t be…”

I barely registered the voices until one cut through the noise, clear and sharp.

“Tiana?”

The sound of my name froze me in place. I turned toward the voice, and my breath caught in my throat.

Ealy Neville stood at the far end of the table, his eyes wide with disbelief.