The Most Explosive Novel Since Fifty Shades of Grey

by BY LENA   Jan 17, 2023

In Tessa Lilly’s immensely popular series opener, ‘True Luna: Rejected By My Mate,’ 18-year-old Emma faces rejection from her Alpha mate, only to unearth unique, powerful abilities that catapult her into a perilous journey. With over 100,000 captivated readers, this spellbinding saga explores betrayal, danger, and the potential for redemption as Emma questions if her mate, who once spurned her, could be her ultimate savior.

EPISODE 1 The Day Before (Part One)

I woke up early in the morning and jumped out of bed right away. I was excited. Really, really excited. Tomorrow was my birthday. Tomorrow I would be eighteen, and I would meet my wolf. I couldn’t wait to shift for the first time. People say it is painful, but I didn’t worry about that part. It would be just for a little while, and it would get easier later. I could survive a little bit of pain. 

I wished my parents were here to see me shift for the first time. It had been eight years since they died, and it hadn’t gotten any easier. 

They were killed in a rogue attack. 

Rogues were werewolves that didn’t belong to any pack. They became rogues by being exiled from their packs for committing various crimes. Some of them choose to leave their packs and live like rogues. That was rare, though. We wolves were pack animals. We didn’t like being alone. When a wolf chose to become a rogue, it was mainly because something terrible had happened to them in their pack, or they had lost their mate, gone crazy, and left the pack. 

The rogues lived alone. They didn’t work with other wolves. But when they attacked our pack, they were working together. It was very odd. After that night, our Alpha learned about a rogue wolf who had gathered other rogues to attack various packs. They called him the Rogue King. The attacks hadn’t stopped since. They attacked ours and other packs multiple times.

 

On the night of the attack, rogues tried to kill our Alpha’s son. We were celebrating his 18th birthday and his first shift. He was supposed to start his training to become the new Alpha and take over the pack.

However, that night, rogues killed his father, our former Alpha Luke. He was forced to become Alpha right away. And he did a fantastic job. He finished his training early, and he made our pack one of the strongest ones.

My father was Alpha Luke’s Beta. He and my mom died protecting Alpha, Luna, and their son. That was their job.

After their deaths, my brother Andrew became Beta. He and our Alpha had been best friends since childhood, and now they run our pack together.

My brother was a fantastic Beta; and an even better brother. He was 17 when our parents died, and after that, he had to take care of our pack and me. He never complained. He took those responsibilities and did the best he could. And he did great. He always made sure I was safe and taken care of.

I finished high school a few months ago, and all I had to do now was train. After the attacks, my brother and our Alpha decided that all pack members must train to be able to defend themselves.

 

The rule in our pack was that we all must go through high school. It was something similar to a human high school, but we learned about werewolves and our pack’s history, pack laws, and everything needed to help the pack function properly. For example, if a wolf was interested in working for Alpha, he or she would have to learn more about running the pack. If a wolf was interested in agriculture, he or she would have to learn about plants and our crops to help sustain our food supplies. If a wolf was interested in defending the pack, he or she would have to learn about defense techniques and attack formations; they would have to spend more time training than the rest of us. I had chosen to help the Alpha run our pack. It was natural to me. My brother was Beta, and I wanted to help him as much as possible. So, I learned all about pack laws and everything else needed to successfully run our pack.

The Alpha, Beta, and pack healer were the only ones who left the pack to train for their positions. They went to different packs where they learned everything needed for their positions in a pack. The training lasted for about a year.

Considering our pack was attacked and our former Alpha was killed, our new Alpha and Beta finished their training in only a few months. The pack needed them, and it had to be done quicker than usual. I missed my brother when he left, but I knew it was something he had to do.

We had to train every day, but tomorrow I got a day off because it was my birthday and my first shift. It was a special occasion. The first shift was essential because you met your wolf and your mate.

Mates were essential in wolf culture. A mate was your special someone, picked by our Moon Goddess. It was the connection of two souls. Your mate became the most important thing to you. You started to love them instantly. You wanted and needed to be with them and protect them. 

My brother still hadn’t found his mate. And neither had our Alpha. So, until he did, his mother, Gloria, still held the Luna title and did carry the Luna duties. 

She had a hard time after her mate, our former Alpha, passed away. She almost didn’t make it. She didn’t eat, sleep or do anything. That was what happened when you lost your mate. Your will to live would just go away. However, she recovered, and she was an excellent Luna. I loved her a lot. She helped my brother and me after our parents died, and she and I had a special relationship. She was like a mother to me.

I asked her to be present for my first shift. She accepted and gave me a big hug. It was a big deal to be present for a wolf’s first shift, at least in our pack. Each pack had its own tradition, but in ours, only the wolves you choose get to witness your first shift. And it was an honor to be chosen.

I chose my brother, Luna Gloria, and my friends, Amy and Jacob. They were all honored and excited for me. 

I couldn’t wait to shift. It will be amazing. And maybe I will be luckier than my brother and meet my mate soon.

I had to go to training soon, so I brushed my teeth, took a quick shower, and got dressed. I wore my black tights, training bra, gray hoodie, and black Nike sneakers. I tied my long brown hair into a ponytail and went downstairs.

EPISODE 2 The Day Before (Part Two)

I was unpleasantly surprised when I came downstairs. Sienna was standing in my kitchen, looking at me like she wanted to kill me.

She was my brother’s and Alpha’s best friend. She was 25, just like my brother and Alpha, and she has been hanging out with them since childhood. Now, she was clinging to them like they were a lifeboat. She was devastated when she learned that neither my brother nor Alpha was her mate. That didn’t stop her from trying to become Luna. She was always around Alpha, proving herself and trying to convince him to take her as his chosen mate.

Werewolves could do that. If their mate died or they didn’t find their true mate, they could take a chosen one. It was frowned upon, especially in our pack, because we took mates very seriously. Most packs did, but some had a milder attitude toward chosen mates.

Sienna was tall, blonde, and perfect. Her make-up was always on point. Her hair was always combed and styled to perfection. But she destroyed all that with the way she behaved. She was bitchy, mean, and disrespectful. She hated me and treated me like I was trash. But only when we were alone. When we were around my brother or Alpha, she was a totally different person. She was nice to me, and she once told my brother that I was like a little sister to her. Yuck. I tried telling my brother about her, but he didn’t believe me. He told me I was jealous of her and how much time they spent together. 

“Sienna,” I said coldly and grabbed a mug from a cupboard.

“Good morning, ugly,” she said and smirked. “It must be good to sleep as long as you do.”

“Maybe you should try it too,” I said as I poured coffee into my mug. “You need as much beauty sleep as you can get.”

I turned toward her with a smirk on my face. She was pissed. 

“You little bitch,” she said through her teeth. “I will become Luna soon, and I will exile you so soon you will not be able to blink.”

She always did this. She threatened to exile me when she became Luna. I knew she would actually do it, and I could only hope she didn’t become Luna.

I wanted to say something, but I heard the front door open. My brother and our Alpha walked into our kitchen. Sienna quickly put on the biggest fake smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes. How didn’t anybody see how fake she was?

“Good morning, little one,” my brother said and kissed my forehead.

That was his favorite nickname for me. I was small, smaller than any wolf my age, and he liked to point that out. Mainly because he was huge. 6’4, and had muscles all over his body, just like Alpha.

We looked a lot alike. We both had brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was more tanned than me, though. I inherited my mom’s pale complexion. Even though I was out in the sun all the time, I couldn’t seem to get tanned. 

“Good morning, Andrew. Good morning, Logan,” I said and smiled.

I get to call Alpha by his first name only in the privacy of our homes. On other occasions, I must refer to him as Alpha. Or Alpha Logan. 

Sienna didn’t like that. She gave me an ‘I will kill you’ look over their shoulders. 

“Good morning, Emma,” Logan said as he sat at our kitchen table.

“What are your plans today, Em?” Andrew asked as he poured coffee for himself and Logan.

“Nothing much,” I responded. “I have a training session in an hour, and then I will just hang out with Amy and Jacob.”

“Tomorrow is your first shift. Are you excited?” Logan asked me and took his coffee mug from my brother.

“Yes,” I said and smiled brightly. “I can’t wait to meet my wolf.”

“Maybe you will find your mate, Emma,” Sienna said coldly. “And maybe we will lose you to him tomorrow.” 

She gave a fake sad look to my brother. Goddess, they were so blind if they didn’t see through her act.

“Don’t worry, Sienna,” my brother said. “She will always be our little sister. No mate will take that away from us.”

I wanted to scream and throw up. She was not my sister! She was a fake bitch who couldn’t wait to get rid of me! But I couldn’t say anything, so I gave him a fake smile.

“After your shift, you can start working at the packhouse,” Logan said. “You went to high school to work at the pack office, right?”

“I did,” I said and smiled. “I can’t wait to start working.”

“Good,” Logan said, smiling back at me.

He was handsome, even more when he smiled. And that was rare. He was usually very serious and focused only on his job as an Alpha. He always did what was best for his pack. That was why he was so successful.

He was as tall and muscular as my brother. Maybe even more. The Alpha and beta of the pack were always the most vital wolves. And it always showed. You could always see who Alpha and beta were. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes. His jaw and his nose were chiseled perfectly, and his lips looked soft. He was hot. No wonder Sienna was all over him. 

She drooled after my brother as well, but being Beta’s mate wasn’t good enough for her. Although, if my brother took her as his chosen mate, she would accept that as well. She was only after the title and power. Too bad they couldn’t see that. 

A doorbell interrupted my thoughts. Jacob was here.

I was unpleasantly surprised when I came downstairs. Sienna was standing in my kitchen, looking at me like she wanted to kill me.

She was my brother’s and Alpha’s best friend. She was 25, just like my brother and Alpha, and she has been hanging out with them since childhood. Now, she was clinging to them like they were a lifeboat. She was devastated when she learned that neither my brother nor Alpha was her mate. That didn’t stop her from trying to become Luna. She was always around Alpha, proving herself and trying to convince him to take her as his chosen mate.

Werewolves could do that. If their mate died or they didn’t find their true mate, they could take a chosen one. It was frowned upon, especially in our pack, because we took mates very seriously. Most packs did, but some had a milder attitude toward chosen mates.

Sienna was tall, blonde, and perfect. Her make-up was always on point. Her hair was always combed and styled to perfection. But she destroyed all that with the way she behaved. She was bitchy, mean, and disrespectful. She hated me and treated me like I was trash. But only when we were alone. When we were around my brother or Alpha, she was a totally different person. She was nice to me, and she once told my brother that I was like a little sister to her. Yuck. I tried telling my brother about her, but he didn’t believe me. He told me I was jealous of her and how much time they spent together. 

“Sienna,” I said coldly and grabbed a mug from a cupboard.

“Good morning, ugly,” she said and smirked. “It must be good to sleep as long as you do.”

“Maybe you should try it too,” I said as I poured coffee into my mug. “You need as much beauty sleep as you can get.”

I turned toward her with a smirk on my face. She was pissed. 

“You little bitch,” she said through her teeth. “I will become Luna soon, and I will exile you so soon you will not be able to blink.”

She always did this. She threatened to exile me when she became Luna. I knew she would actually do it, and I could only hope she didn’t become Luna.

I wanted to say something, but I heard the front door open. My brother and our Alpha walked into our kitchen. Sienna quickly put on the biggest fake smile on her face.

I rolled my eyes. How didn’t anybody see how fake she was?

“Good morning, little one,” my brother said and kissed my forehead.

That was his favorite nickname for me. I was small, smaller than any wolf my age, and he liked to point that out. Mainly because he was huge. 6’4, and had muscles all over his body, just like Alpha.

We looked a lot alike. We both had brown hair and bright blue eyes. He was more tanned than me, though. I inherited my mom’s pale complexion. Even though I was out in the sun all the time, I couldn’t seem to get tanned. 

“Good morning, Andrew. Good morning, Logan,” I said and smiled.

I get to call Alpha by his first name only in the privacy of our homes. On other occasions, I must refer to him as Alpha. Or Alpha Logan. 

Sienna didn’t like that. She gave me an ‘I will kill you’ look over their shoulders. 

“Good morning, Emma,” Logan said as he sat at our kitchen table.

“What are your plans today, Em?” Andrew asked as he poured coffee for himself and Logan.

“Nothing much,” I responded. “I have a training session in an hour, and then I will just hang out with Amy and Jacob.”

“Tomorrow is your first shift. Are you excited?” Logan asked me and took his coffee mug from my brother.

“Yes,” I said and smiled brightly. “I can’t wait to meet my wolf.”

“Maybe you will find your mate, Emma,” Sienna said coldly. “And maybe we will lose you to him tomorrow.” 

She gave a fake sad look to my brother. Goddess, they were so blind if they didn’t see through her act.

“Don’t worry, Sienna,” my brother said. “She will always be our little sister. No mate will take that away from us.”

I wanted to scream and throw up. She was not my sister! She was a fake bitch who couldn’t wait to get rid of me! But I couldn’t say anything, so I gave him a fake smile.

“After your shift, you can start working at the packhouse,” Logan said. “You went to high school to work at the pack office, right?”

“I did,” I said and smiled. “I can’t wait to start working.”

“Good,” Logan said, smiling back at me.

He was handsome, even more when he smiled. And that was rare. He was usually very serious and focused only on his job as an Alpha. He always did what was best for his pack. That was why he was so successful.

He was as tall and muscular as my brother. Maybe even more. The Alpha and beta of the pack were always the most vital wolves. And it always showed. You could always see who Alpha and beta were. He had dark blonde hair and green eyes. His jaw and his nose were chiseled perfectly, and his lips looked soft. He was hot. No wonder Sienna was all over him. 

She drooled after my brother as well, but being Beta’s mate wasn’t good enough for her. Although, if my brother took her as his chosen mate, she would accept that as well. She was only after the title and power. Too bad they couldn’t see that. 

A doorbell interrupted my thoughts. Jacob was here.

EPISODE 3 The Day Before (Part Three)

“Is that Jacob?” my brother asked.

I nodded and put the mug in the dishwasher.

“I will see you tonight. Goodbye, Logan. Sienna.” I said and gave my brother a kiss on the cheek.

Logan smiled at me, and Sienna gave me a cold stare.

I walked out of the kitchen and opened the front door. My friend Jacob was standing there, smiling at me.

I always had a crush on him. He was handsome, tall, muscular, and had black hair. His dark brown eyes looked like a pool of chocolate. And I loved chocolate. Sometimes I wished that he would be my mate. We would have been great together, and I knew he liked me. He told me himself.

We never dated or even talked about it. We saved ourselves for our mates. It wasn’t forbidden to have sex with others, but it was frowned upon, primarily by our pack elders. The rest of the pack agreed that we should wait for our mates but turned away when they saw someone dating outside of a mate bond. Not all of us saved ourselves for our mates, though. I knew for a fact that my brother and Logan had their share of she-wolves. I was sure Logan even slept with Sienna, adding to her belief that she would become his Luna. Jake and I never talked about it, but I knew he slept with some she-wolves as well. 

Jacob was 22, but he still hadn’t found his mate. So maybe he was mine, and I was his. I would not be happy to know he slept around if he was my mate, but I didn’t want to hold his past against him.  

“Good morning, beautiful,” he said and kissed me on the cheek.

“Morning, Jake,” I said and closed the front door.

“Are you excited?” he asked and took my hand in his.

“Yes, I am,” I said with a big smile on my face. “I can’t wait to shift.”

“It will be amazing,” he said. “You will be amazing. I am really honored that you asked me to be there.”

“Of course, I did,” I said. “You and Amy are my best friends! I want you there.”

“Maybe I will be something else to you as well,” he said and winked.

I laughed. “Maybe you will.”

We walked over to the training grounds together.

Amy was already there, waiting for us. She was a year older than me, and we met at high school. She introduced me to Jacob. They were cousins.

She and Jacob looked a lot alike. She had the same black hair as he did. Her eyes were a little bit lighter than his, though. 

“Well, if it isn’t my two favorite wolves,” she said and smiled brightly.

“Hello, Amy,” Jake said and gave her a kiss on her cheek.

She gave me a big hug. “I can’t wait to meet your wolf tomorrow, Emmy. Our wolves will be best friends. I just know it. Just like we are.”

“Oh, I am sure Alora will love my wolf,” I said with a huge grin.

Our wolves had their own names. Amy’s wolf was named Alora, and Jake’s was named Jared. I couldn’t wait to learn my wolf’s name.

“Enough chit-chatting, girls. Time to train. I will see you later,” Jake said and walked over to his training ground.

Jacob worked as a patrol wolf, so he trained harder and differently than us. Patrol wolves trained separately from the rest of us. Amy worked at a greenhouse. She was terrific with plants.

Jacob and I sometimes trained together. He taught me a little bit about what they do at their training sessions. He said he wanted me to know as much as possible to be able to defend myself. He wanted me safe.

After an hour and a half, we were done with our daily training session. Jake still had an hour left, so Amy and I went home to shower and change. 

We would meet at the diner we always went to.

When I came home, Andrew was not there. He was out dealing with pack stuff. Being a Beta wasn’t like any other nine-to-five job. There was always something to do. Especially when your Alpha was Logan.

I quickly showered and changed into a pair of jeans, a white sweater, and my black Converse sneakers. I dried my hair and let it fall to my waist.

When I reached the diner, Amy was already sitting at our usual booth.

“Hey, lady,” she said. “You look amazing.”

“Thank you,” I smiled. “Not as amazing as you.”

She was gorgeous, tall, and skinny but with curves in all the right places and totally confident. All the boys wanted her.

“So, tomorrow is the big day,” she said, sipping her chocolate milkshake.

“Yes. I am so excited.” 

“Maybe Jake will be your mate, and we will be family,” she said with a big smile on her face.

“I would love that,” I said. “You know I love Jake. He would be a great mate.”

“And he is totally in love with you,” she laughed. “Most boys are, actually.”

“What are you talking about?” I said and frowned. 

The waitress brought me my strawberry milkshake, and I thanked her before sipping my drink. It was amazing.

“Come on, Emma,” she said and rolled her eyes. “You are beautiful and hot. I can’t believe you never noticed the looks you are getting. It makes Jake totally jealous.”

“I always thought they were looking at you,” I said and smirked.

Amy laughed. “Well, they do. But I am not the only one they are looking at.”

I blushed and looked down at my hands. “Well, I don’t care. I will wait for my mate.”

“And here he comes,” Amy announced and pointed at the door.

Jake walked in with a big smile and came over to our booth. He sat down beside me and kissed my cheek.

“Hey, girls. What are we talking about?” he asked.

“Mates,” Amy said with a massive grin on her face. 

“I can’t wait to revisit that topic tomorrow,” Jake said and winked at me.

I laughed and blushed. “Okay, stop making me blush.”

Jake laughed and pinched my cheek. “Why? There is no prettier sight.”

“Okay, love birds. Enough,” Amy said and laughed. “Emma, when are we meeting tomorrow?”

“Well, I will have lunch with my brother and spend the day with him, and we will meet at the shift site at 8 p.m.,” I said.

My brother and I had a tradition of spending our birthdays together. No other people. Just him and me. We always had breakfast and lunch together. After that, we would watch a movie and eat as much cake as possible. I loved our tradition. 

“Great. I can’t wait to see if your wolf will be as small as you,” Amy said and laughed.

Jake joined her as I glared at them. “You bitches.”

“Oh, come on, Emmy,” Jake said, laughing. “We love how small you are.”

I frowned but joined their laughter. 

We spent the rest of the day talking, laughing, and planning our first run together. 

It was late when I came home, but Andrew was still out. I quickly showered, put on my pajamas, and got under my covers. I couldn’t wait to see what was to come the next day.

Immerse Yourself In

READ NOWW