Rebirth Of The Rejected Luna Chapter 99: Forgive?

**Derek’s POV**

I watched Tiana react with immediate stiffness when I spoke. Her displeasure at my compliment was very evident, although it seemed like there was the smallest hint of a smile. My words did not produce the opposite response from what I had envisioned or anticipated. I knew I made a very risky move when I said those words because there was now no way to change what I had done.

But who cared?

She looked different and even more beautiful than when I had last seen her. The way her hair cascaded down her back in soft waves, but some frames her face in an elegant manner. Her eyes were as beautiful as I had remembered them, and I could not help but imagine kissing those pouty pink lips of hers.

I caught the movement of Theo's head toward her direction. His face moved from me to her before his jaw muscles grew tight. He seemed to be containing the urge to say something snarky to me.

Despite his internal frustration he managed to stay silent. His closed fist on the table convinced me he was angry. The situation made him really upset but I couldn't care less. I was angry at him myself, and angry at myself.

He was the one who was now holding Tiana, kissing her, hugging her. My jaw clenched in annoyance at the thought.

"It would have been you if you did not reject her," my wolf Ryder snarled at me. I hissed silently at his voice, getting extremely annoyed. How dare he?

"Oh, I dare," he snarled again. "We lost her to this loser because of your pride. See the way she feels safe and seen in his presence? Look at the way they look at each other."

"Shut up,' I hissed silently.

"Did you say something?"

I glanced to my left to see a lady with long blonde hair and piercing green eyes staring at me coldly. I knew immediately that she was the princess of this pack. "No, I didn't," I replied and cleared my throat.

"Well..." Another lady said she was the Beta's mate from the relationship I could see between her and Peter. "How are we all doing?"

"That is a pointless question, Amara," the lady with the long blonde hair and green eyes said. "Everyone is tense and trying to choose words carefully because a surprise was sprung upon us."

She paused looking around. "Who knew the girl who was too traumatized to talk about her past would have to face her fears."

"Layla," Amara said in a harsh but conspiratorial whisper. "You can't just—"

"Guess you can't exactly run away from your roots," she sighed.

"Layla, if you do not have anything meaningful or mature to say, I suggest you leave the dining hall," Theo said in a very cold voice. "I will not have you disrespecting my Luna because of something as petty as being too busy for—'

"Theo," Tiana said softly, placing her hand on his. She gave him a pleading look.

"Right," he mumbled, but I couldn't help but notice he removed Tiana's hand from his. He seemed angry at her for some odd reason.

We locked eyes, and there was a murderous glint in his. I only smirked at him, knowing that he was insecure about my presence here. I wondered if Tiana had ever told him that she had a mate before him. Then again, if she had told him she had a mate before, wouldn't he have known about her family? It seemed to be as though he was only suspecting there had been something between us, even if that something was nothing.

Peter, their beta gave a small sigh. This dinner was obviously not going as they had planned or expected. The tension was so thick that I was certain a knife could not cut through it.

Alpha Romano used his commanding voice to break up the heavy tension that filled the room.

"I suppose Shadowclaw has been treating you well Tiana? From what I've seen Moonstone has distinct differences compared to Shadowclaw. Was the change too drastic for you?"

Tiana spent only a short moment staring at him before responding with a short nod. “It’s… different, yes. But the change was not drastic. I felt at ease the moment I got here."

"I'm glad you found a home that loved you, Tiana," her father said.

"We'd like to thank you," my own father, the Alpha of Moonstone pack said to Alpha Romano. "For taking her in and caring for her. She has a glow about her. I am happy she was not food to the rogues."

"I am glad as well," Alpha Romano said and then turned to Tiana. "I understand that forgiveness may be hard my dear, but I want you to understand that it was not their intention to treat you that way."

Tiana's jaw tightened as he said that but Alpha Romano continued nonetheless.

"People grieve very differently, and if you have lost a mate to the cold hands of death..." He trailed off suggestively. "I can ascertain it was not his intention to make you feel neglected and used."

"I promise Tiana," Ealy Neville said with a sigh. "I know it will take a long while, but I want you to at least consider forgiving me."

"They are still your family," Amara said.

"A generic excuse people have to treat you badly," she said in an ice-cold tone.

"Your pain is valid," I said. "But all of us here are going to be family soon. We have to move past it."

The way Tiana completely dismissed me with her eyes down felt worse than my willingness to admit.

As the dinner continued, Theo watched me from time to time while his growing annoyance boiled off his skin.

**Tiana’s POV**

Theo had been acting strange since dinner ended. His movements were sharp, his tone curt whenever he addressed anyone, and he hadn’t so much as glanced my way.

I trailed behind him as he strode through the halls, his steps quick. He didn’t look back to see if I was following, but I didn’t care. I needed to know what was going on.

“Theo,” I called out.

He didn’t stop.

“Theo!” I tried again, louder this time, and finally, he paused just outside the door to his chambers.

“What?” he asked, his tone clipped as he turned to face me.

I frowned, stepping closer. “What’s going on with you? You’ve been acting strange since dinner. Did something happen?”

His jaw tightened, and he glanced away briefly before looking back at me, his expression unreadable. “Nothing happened,” he muttered.

I folded my arms across my chest, refusing to let him brush me off. “Don’t lie to me, Theo. You’ve been annoyed since dinner ended, and I want to know why. Did someone say something? Did I do something?”

He exhaled sharply, running a hand through his hair as if trying to collect himself. “It’s nothing, Tiana.”

“It’s not nothing,” I shot back, stepping even closer. “Just tell me what’s wrong.”

His eyes locked onto mine. "You and Derek... You have something going on, don't you?”