The Luna Queen - Chapter 26: Chapter 26

_Kayden's POV_
I stood outside my room, staring at the door as my heart raced. The engagement party had ended hours ago, and the house was silent now. Most of the guests had left, their laughter and chatter replaced by an eerie stillness. I knew Selena was waiting for me somewhere, but I couldn’t bring myself to face her yet. My wolf, Leo, growled restlessly inside me, his agitation matching my own. I had been running for hours, trying to clear my head, but it hadn’t worked.
As I turned the corner, I saw her standing there. Her arms were wrapped tightly around herself, and her eyes were filled with questions. She looked at me like she had been waiting all night, her disappointment hitting me like a punch to the gut. I hadn’t meant to hurt her, but I knew I had.
“Selena?” I said, my voice low and hesitant. “What are you doing here? It’s late. You should be sleeping.”
She stared at me, her jaw tight. “I could ask you the same thing. Where were you?”
I rubbed the back of my neck, avoiding her gaze. “I told you, I wasn’t feeling well. I just needed some fresh air.”
“Fresh air? You have been gone for hours, Kayden,” she snapped, her frustration boiling over. “You left me alone at our engagement party. Do you have any idea how that felt? How embarrassing it was to stand there and pretend everything was fine while everyone asked me where you were?”
“I’m sorry, Selena,” I muttered, my voice flat. “I didn’t mean to embarrass you.”
“Then why did you?” she demanded, stepping closer to me. “Why are you acting like this? You have been distant for weeks, and now, tonight, on one of the most important nights of our lives, you vanish without a word. What’s going on with you, Kayden?”
I sighed, leaning back against the wall. “I told you, I wasn’t feeling well. I needed space.”
“Space?” she shook her head, her voice trembling. “This isn’t about needing space. This is about Leah, isn’t it?”
My body tensed. Her words hit me like a slap, and I could feel Leo growling in the back of my mind. “Leah?” I repeated, my tone hardening. “What are you talking about?”
“You know exactly what I’m talking about,” she said, her voice rising. “Ever since she disappeared, you’ve been different. Cold. Distant. And tonight, at our engagement party, you couldn’t even look me in the eye. Do you regret rejecting her, Kayden? Is that why you’re acting like this?”
Anger surged through me. “That’s ridiculous, Selena. Leah is a rogue now. I made my decision, and it’s over.”
“Then why do you look like you’re still thinking about her?” she accused, her chest tightening. “Why does it feel like your mind is somewhere else every time you’re with me?”
I clenched my fists at my sides, trying to push down the rising turmoil. I didn’t want to admit it, not to her, not even to myself but she wasn’t entirely wrong. Leah’s face still haunted me, no matter how hard I tried to forget her. The bond might have been broken, but something inside me refused to let go.
“I’m not thinking about Leah,” I snapped, my voice sharp. “I’m here with you, aren’t I? I’m trying to do the right thing for this pack, for us.”
“Trying?” Selena repeated bitterly, tears welling in her eyes. “It shouldn’t be this hard, Kayden. You shouldn’t have to try to be with me. If you wanted to be with me, if you really cared about me, you would’ve been by my side tonight. But you weren’t. You were out there, running, because you couldn’t handle being with me.”
I took a step toward her, my frustration boiling over. “That’s not true. I didn’t mean to hurt you. I just needed time to clear my head.”
“Clear your head?” she scoffed, her hands trembling. “You’re the Alpha. You’re supposed to be strong, decisive. But here you are, running away from your own engagement party. Tell me the truth, Kayden. Do you still want Leah? Is that why you’ve been acting like this? Because you regret rejecting her?”
I wanted to yell, to deny it, to make her stop saying Leah’s name, but the words wouldn’t come. The truth sat heavy in my chest, too painful to admit. I felt trapped, caught between the past and the present, and I hated it.
“Selena, stop. This isn’t about Leah,” I said, my voice raw.
“Then what is it about?” she cried, her voice breaking. “Because I don’t know how much longer I can do this. I’ve been waiting, Kayden. Waiting for you to show me that you actually want this.....want us. But every day, it feels like you’re slipping further away.”
I looked down at the floor, guilt washing over me. She was right. I hadn’t been fair to her. She deserved more than this, more than me. But I didn’t know how to give her what she needed.
“I’m sorry,” I whispered, my voice barely audible.
Her breath hitched, and I could see the pain in her eyes. “Sorry isn’t enough,” she said quietly. “I need more than that, Kayden. I need to know that you’re committed to me. To us. Do you want this or not?”
I opened my mouth to answer, but the words caught in my throat. I wanted to say yes, wanted to promise her the world, but I couldn’t. My silence spoke louder than any words ever could.
Her eyes filled with tears as she looked at me, her heart breaking right in front of me. “I can’t do this,” she whispered, her voice trembling. “I can’t be with someone who doesn’t want me.”
“Selena, wait—” I tried to stop her, but she was already turning away, her fists clenched at her sides.
“Where are you going?” I called after her, panic rising in my chest.
“I’m leaving,” she said, her voice cold. “I’ll stay with my parents tonight. Don’t come after me.”
“Selena, don’t do this,” I pleaded, stepping toward her, but she held up a hand, stopping me in my tracks.
“It’s too late, Kayden,” she said, her eyes filled with hurt. “You already made your choice.”
I watched her walk away, her footsteps echoing through the empty hallway. My chest ached, but I couldn’t move. I couldn’t stop her. As the door closed behind her, the silence pressed in around me, suffocating me.
I was alone. And for the first time, I wasn’t sure if I had made the right decision.