The Rejected Luna’s Prince By Aurora Archer
Chapter 53 – Contract
(Willa)
I woke up refreshed, Caspien must have sensed me because he pulled me back to him, and I didn’t complain. My back was flush against his broad chest.
My mom texted me; it was weird not being able to link them since I joined Crescent Moon.
“Five more minutes,” Caspien buried his head into my neck, and it took every part of me not to succumb to the comfort he was promising.
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“My parents want us to come for brunch; if you think we can skip breakfast here? I doubt anyone will be up for a while.” I’m sure the party lasted well into the night, but I was fast asleep in Caspien’s arms.
“I would love that; we can help them pack,” Caspien suggested into my neck.
It took everything in me to roll out of his embrace and shower.
After Facetiming Emmett we strolled hand-in-hand through the packhouse, I appreciated Cali basically packing for me, and also pretty much shopping for me, with Caspien’s card.
I found a figure-hugging long olive green dress with thin straps and paired it with strappy wedge sandals. The dress was more comfortable than anything I had worn in my life.
What was it with rich people’s fabrics? Even the most basic of clothes felt luxurious.
I let my hair air dry and fall in its natural waves, pulling back some pieces off my face. Caspien was walking next to me in dark gray slacks and a white shirt, and I couldn’t take my eyes off him.
Honestly, I couldn’t anyways, but he knew that.
Everyone we passed stopped and stared, but it didn’t bother me. I was feeling great, being back here, being able to show Caspien where I grew up.
No matter that this place was so ingrained in my pain, it would always hold a piece of me.
“It is nice,” Caspien admitted, we took a long walk towards the forest so I could show him around.
The day was bright, warm, and dry. A dry heat that wasn’t suffocating. I welcomed it.
“It is,” I sighed.
He stopped me and tilted my chin up to meet his gaze, “How are you doing, Willa?” He asked, his eyes scanning mine, “Honestly.”
I gave him a smile, a genuine one. I wasn’t sure if it was the weather, the familiarity of this place, or the fact that last night was behind us, but I felt good.
As normal as I thought, I could be here after all this time..
“Actually, better than I thought possible. The weekend is far from over, but I don’t feel weird about being back anymore..”
I wasn’t coming here as Blue Ridges scorned potential Luna. I came back with my true mate to stand by his side and partake in these decisions.
“I feel like I belong here, not at Blue Ridge, but by your side,” I tried to put it into words.
“You do.” He nodded once and took my hand again.
I led him to my parent’s cottage. I could feel the eyes following us.
People stopped and gaped; I wondered what they thought was going on or how much gossip had already spread from last night. Caspien either didn’t notice or didn’t care; I admired how completely unaffected he was by it.
My mom threw open the door before we could knock, pulling me into a tight hug.
“She was watching by the window,” My dad came shaking his head, coming up behind her.
Caspien and he clasped hands before my mom released me. She looked me up and down with a broad smile on her face.
“Goddess, you look good, Willa. I mean, you always do, but you seem really good.” Her eyes lit up, and my dad placed a hand on her shoulder.
“I am,” I admitted, and Caspien grabbed my hand, squeezing it gently.
My mom had outdone herself—pancakes, bacon, sausage, scrambled eggs, fruit, and fresh juice.
“I didn’t want you to miss out on anything since you’re skipping breakfast at the pack house,” My mom beamed at us.
“This looks lovely, thank you.” I took a seat.
“And in much better company,” Caspien added, “Sparkling baseboards, Mrs. Balfour,” Caspien commented, and my dad choked on his coffee. I bit down on a smile, and my mom gave me a wry look I pretended not to see.
“Why thank you, Caspien.” She commented, “Such great manners; I’m not sure what went wrong with you,” My mom shook her head at me.
“My upbringing.” I shot back, joking, and my dad smiled at my mom’s scowl.
We fell into comfortable chatter. Caspien informed my parents that his mom was already putting together some design ideas for their apartment and cottage. I glanced around my first home and saw that things were already being sorted and some boxes laid out.
I helped clear the table with my dad while Caspien listened to my mom talk about how they wanted to pack and helped her decide what she should bring.
The front door slammed open, and I jumped. I was met with a familiar face under sandy-blonde hair cut short into a bob.
“Lola! You cut your hair,” I wasn’t expecting her back yet.
She bounded towards me and grasped me in a too-tight hug before pulling back and looking me over, breathing a sigh of relief, “I did, I was inspired. You look,” She paused, “Better,” She said carefully.
“I feel better.” I didn’t realize how bad I must have been; even though I had seen her months ago, my shadows must have still lingered.
“I have so much to tell you about you, of course.” She laughed and went to throw her long hair over her shoulder, frowning, “Oh, I keep forgetting I cut it,” I laughed at her and clasped her hand. It was so nice seeing her.
“When did you get back?” I asked.
“Barely home a day, but oh my Goddess,” She shook her head, looking around before finding Caspien, “That’s him.” She whispered.
“Yes,”
“Hi, Vincent, Heather.” Lola called to my parents, “I’m back.”
“We can see that,” My dad said, smiling, “Coffee?”
Lola nodded, “Please.” The familiarity tugged at me.
It made me feel both comfortable and sad at the same time, knowing my parents were giving this up.
Caspien came up to me, “This is my mate, Caspien.” He held out his hand to her, and her eyes widened.
“How do you not suffocate being around him?” She asked me, “Also, hi, I’m Lola.” She gave him a timid smile.
I shrugged, “I don’t feel it in the same way.”
“It’s a pleasure to meet you. I’ve heard a lot about you,” Caspien said, his voice kind.
“Now, what is this gossip?” My mom asked, and we all took a seat with fresh cups of coffee.
“Where to start?” She tapped her mug with a finger, “Willa is back. Apparently, she’s a princess. I always knew you were too pretty to be a commoner,” Lola smirked at me.
“Too smart to be a commoner, you mean,” My dad cut in.
“Yes and that,” Lola amended, flashing my dad a smile, “Oh, and Nolan has a son who is the true heir to Blue Ridge. People are torn on that one, they aren’t sure if you ran away and kept the kid from him or if he knew. The timelines are a little fuzzy,” She shrugged, “Of course, I know the true story, but I didn’t know what you wanted me to say, so I just listened.” I nodded at her knowing she would go on without prompting.
“Some people think that you came back to claim the title for your son, others think that you’re here for some revenge, and the logical ones think that you’re here for the conference. But one thing everyone agreed on is that you stole the show yesterday.” She snapped her dark blue eyes to me, “I want photos by the way.”
“I’ll get you some,” I smiled at her trying to process this information, “How did this all get around before even noon?” I asked checking the time.
“It was starting to circulate last night,” Lola said.
“We heard some too,” My mom added, “People were talking about The Prince showing up with his mate, and then talking about how stunning she was,” My mom beamed at me, “And then they were talking about how it was you.”
“I knew there would be drama,” I muttered, and Caspien put his hand over mine on the table.
“Let them talk,” He said, “It gives them something to do, and they were right about one thing at least, you are stunning.” He smiled down at me.
Lola looked at Caspien with wide eyes, “That was so sweet,” She gushed.
“Yes, sometimes he can do that.” I added, throwing him a sideways glance, “Rarely.”
“So you’re with a Prince,” Lola smiled widely, “What great f*uc*king payback showing up with The Prince back here for the first time. I wished I could have seen the look on Alpha A.sshats face,” She shook her head smiling.
“Tell me everything.” She turned to me, “About last night,”
So I did. Caspien filled in some parts better than I did. Lola was smirking the entire time, and my mom and dad seemed a bit taken aback at their ranked member’s actions.
“The nerve of that woman to insinuate that you,” My mom trailed off and started shaking. My dad put his hand over hers and rubbed it in soothing motions.
“I knew they didn’t always make the best decisions,” My dad put it lightly, “But that is uncalled for. After what Nolan, Alpha Nolan did,” He f*orc*ed out, “Then to blame you? They are delusional.”
“I do feel for them, not Nolan, of course. His parents didn’t know that he had another son,”
“He doesn’t,” Caspien cut in, his power curled out of him, a protective thing. It was my turn to squeeze Caspien’s hand.
“You know what I mean,” I smiled at him, “His parents had no idea, and he basically made the decision for them, for all of us,” That familiar hurt tried to edge its way up, but it was quelled with Caspien steady touch, “They are probably shocked and now realizing they never got an option to be in his life.”
“Nolan is a p.rick,” Lola said, and none of us disagreed.
“We better get going,” Caspien glanced at his watch, “The conference is starting soon.”
I sighed and stood up. Lola came to give me another hug.
“Come visit?” I asked her.
“Try to keep me away.” A bright smile crossed her face.
I wondered how she and Cali would get along. I think they would like each other, but they were very different people, but I guess I was different than them, too, and loved them both so much.
“My warriors will stay behind on Sunday to bring your boxes,” Caspien said, “I insist,” He added when my mom started to say something, “You can stay in your new apartment at the packhouse while we update the cottage and then make your move there if that’s okay?”
My parents nodded, and my mom looked a bit anxious.
“You can always come back here, Mom.”
“I know, honey,” She swallowed, “I really want to move; we both do. It’s just a huge change.”
“I understand,” Caspien said, “Let us know how we can help ease you into it.”
“Thanks, son,” My dad grasped his shoulder, and we followed Lola out the door.
“If someone asks you feel free to tell them the true story,” I told her.
It was apparent enough that Nolan knew how to keep things hidden and I wanted the rightful story to get out. In all honesty, it did mean something to me to have the truth told after so long. The truth was a huge part of what ate at me during my pregnancy and beyond, not knowing what story people were told and what they believed of me.
“I will,” Her lips tugged into a wicked smile, and she hugged me again, “Great to meet you, your highness?”
“Caspien,” He gave her a smile, and she nodded, heading home.
“She’s very bubbly,” He noted, intertwining my fingers with his.
I nodded my agreement. She was always more positive and outgoing than I was, but we had a steady friendship, and I knew I could rely on her.
When we got back to our room, I loosely curled my hair and applied some light makeup. I pulled out a black suit that Caspien hung up yesterday, I frowned at it not sure it was my style. As soon as I put it on, I changed my mind completely.
I felt good.
Powerful, confident, s*e*xy.
It was an all-black two-piece suit. The pants flared slightly at the bottom but hugged my legs everywhere else. Even after I slipped on heels, the pants almost touched the floor.
The top had two triangular cutouts on each side above the pockets that showed my skin. It might have been a bit too formal without them, and I liked the balance they created. The suit jacket covered enough where I didn’t need to wear a shirt under it, but it still had a slight plunging cut.
“D.amn,” Caspien breathed, coming into the bathroom where I was adjusting my hair. I looked at him in the suit that he wore on Emmett’s birthday, matching gray with a white shirt underneath. A small curled my lips at the sight.
“You too,”
“Are you ready?” He asked, his voice turning serious. I nodded once, turning my head back to the mirror.
I grabbed a clip. It was made out of clear gems and looked like a starburst. I clipped some of my hair back on one side and tucked it in, a trail of gems intertwined in my hair from the tail.
“I like it,” Caspien ran the back of his finger over the clip, “It’s like a shooting star.”
As soon as we left our room, he was back in scary alpha mode. He held two folders in his arms, one was mine with a copy of what he brought and a pen and paper.
Goddess, this was going to be a long day.
How do these things usually go? – I asked him
They’re usually long and dull – He shrugged slightly, looking ahead – Basically starts with a rundown of the past year and talk through things that might arise, and then people bring forward issues.
Oh, I didn’t want to wait until the end I wanted answers now.
I can bring it up earlier, they already know I’m here for a reason. We’re here for a reason. – He squeezed my hand and I nodded once.
We walked in almost comfortable silence to the main conference room. Caspien opened it without knocking.
All eyes went to us, Nolan and Camilla were sitting at the head, and a few other Alpha’s and their Luna’s were standing finishing a light lunch.
Caspien nodded at them once in recognition and dismissal, and they went back to doing what they were before, only a bit tenser.
Caspien got us both a cup of coffee and went over to Nolan.
“Prince Dracos,” Camilla said tightly, averting her eyes. Caspien nodded once at her.
“I hope the rest of your ball was uneventful,” He said, and I fought a smile. He was so composed, so dismissive, I found it hilarious.
“It was after you left,” Nolan said. I was almost taken aback by his confidence and complete rudeness.
“Ah, I expected it to be,” Caspien nodded once, “Willa was tired and wanted me to escort her to bed,” Caspien’s face curled into a tight smile, but his eyes were on fire.
“Yes, I know what that’s like,” Nolan fought to keep his stare, a smirk on his face. Camilla turned to her chosen mate in shock, anger plastered on her face, and I saw her hands bunch into fists.
“I doubt you do,” Caspien said, taking a sip of coffee.
“The party was gorgeous,” I added, looking at Camilla, “Beautiful decorations,” She met my gaze, but there was nothing but hatred in her stare. I was trying to be polite, and I was actually being serious. The place didn’t look bad.
“I think it’s time we get this started,” Nolan said, standing up. Behind us, the room was filling up, “Let’s bring this meeting to a start in five minutes,” He called out; his voice wasn’t very loud.
Caspien led me to a seat at the long rectangular table, Nolan was at the top and we took two chairs next to him on his left side.
“I’ll see you later,” Camilla placed a wet k*iss on Nolan’s mouth and let out a soft m.oan. The display didn’t upset me at all but it was kinda f*uc*king disgusting.
Pathetic – Caspien mentioned, and I smiled at him briefly.
Camilla gave me a smile that was more of a smirk, and I started back at her, confused, as she walked past me.
“We have a light lunch planned for the ladies,” Nolan said, “You can follow my Luna out,” Some of the Lunas moved to the door but most stayed next to their mates.
“What are you still doing here?” Nolan turned to me, exasperated.
“I’m here for the conference,” I stated.
“You’re a Luna or mate or whatever,” He scoffed.
“Yes,” Caspien answered, “Why wouldn’t she stay?”
Camilla was still standing at the door; her eyes shifted between us and Nolan. He shook his head at her and motioned for her to leave.
Nolan took a too-short breath. His anger at Goddess knew what was evident on his face. Caspien handed me my folder, and I opened it up towards me, looking through its contents as the other guests took their seats.
I glanced up to see Nolan glaring at me.
“I can’t believe you let her wear that.” Nolan scoffed, d.amn he was getting bold.
Caspien’s anger flared, his aura expanded with his rising annoyance, “Let me make something very clear,” He said, his voice white hot.
Everyone in the room was staring at us in complete silence.
“I do not give my mate permission to do anything.” His eyes locked with Nolan’s, “She is my equal in every way, and even that is me being kind to me. I am undeserving of her, but somehow she makes me feel worthy every d.amn day.”
Okay, not really where I expected that to go, but my stomach flipped, and tears pricked my eyes. I blinked them away, hoping no one saw that.
Strong front even though my mate was baring his soul to your ex and every other Alpha in the territory.
“My mate can wear whatever she sees fit. If she cares to ask for my opinion on something, I will gladly give it, but not on something as trivial as clothes or showing skin.” He was breathing deeply.
“Sorry, sir, just an honest question.” An Alpha almost raised his hand, and I fought back a laugh.
Caspien turned his stare to the interrupting Alpha, but his voice was calmer, “Go on,”
“You don’t, er, you wouldn’t get jealous?” The Alpha managed out, “Not saying that she isn’t wearing anything that is inappropriate, but if she were..” He trailed off.
Caspien laughed once, “If she decided to show up here in a napkin, that is up to her. As for jealousy? It’s a feeling I’m unfamiliar with, especially with Willa. She is my mate. She was made for me, she has accepted me, so no matter how she chooses to show off her incredibly s*e*xy body, I know that I am the only one going to be touching it.” He loosened up a bit and grabbed my hand gently.
“Those who are jealous need to look and see where the misplaced trust is, and if there is no reason not to trust your mate, then the jealousy is all on you.” He added, meeting the eyes of the other Alphas.
The Luna’s that stayed were nodding at Caspien appreciatively; some were eyeing their mates in an ‘I told you so’ way.
“So, if there are no more questions about my wife’s clothing, I would like to get back to the business at hand.” Caspien turned his hard gaze to Nolan, who looked to be cowering into himself.
No one said anything.
“Good,” Caspien shifted to address the group, not taking my hand from where it rested on his lap, “And I will hear no one speak again, insinuating that I need to allow my mate to do anything. It makes me sound like an archaic p.rick and her some Luna who only plans parties.” A direct jab at Nolan and Camilla, and Iris was howling with laughter and adoration in my mind.
“My mate has the same status and title as I do.” That was a bit of a stretch, but I would take it. I squeezed his hand, and he relaxed a bit, if only I noticed.
Nolan reigned in his anger just enough to clear his throat and start the meeting.
The door opened up, and Natalie stormed in.
Great, another diversion.
“Before they say anything to you, we need to get the record straight. This woman here was pregnant with my son’s heir and didn’t tell us, instead leaving and hiding him from everyone here.” Natalie pointed at me.
The Alpha’s looked around, confused.
Are we in some soap opera? This must be a dream. – Iris sounded annoyed in my mind, but I knew she was enjoying this in some way.
“To clarify, I was mated to Alpha Nolan years ago.” I took a deep breath looking around the room. They wouldn’t have really known me, I was never in meetings, and I was never technically the Luna of Blue Ridge, “I was pregnant when I was rejected by him and chose not to share the pregnancy news further. I don’t know if that was the right decision, and I might never know. I left after the rejection and raised my son elsewhere.”
“Liar!” Natalie screamed.
She slammed her hands on the table; her face was an unearthly shade of red.
“He knew, and he chose his path. I chose mine. I understand this must be a shock. I was unaware if Nolan shared that information with you or anyone else. But again, at that time, it was his story to tell.” I kept my voice even, I could see some of the Alphas mindlinking their Lunas.
“Mom, this really isn’t the time.” Nolan said, “We’re in the middle of a meeting. Why don’t you go join the girls for some food?” He said, not-so-politely dismissing her.
“I don’t want any of these Alphas to think that whatever threat against her son is a serious one. She is not to be trusted; how can we trust her about anything else?” She seethed, and I took a long breath settling back into my chair.
She was doing nothing but embarra*s*sing herself.
“Is this not your signature on the paper singing away Nolan’s rights?” Caspien said, his voice piercing through the awkward silence, “You’ll see it under Nolan’s and above your pack lawyers.” His annoyance was evident in his voice as he slid a paper to Nolan’s mom.
Natalie snatched it up, and her eyes widened. Rage flashed over her face as she looked at her son.