Alaria:
I walked out of the house knowing that it was the last time that I was going to be in this place.
I didn't even want to pack my things. I did not care about that. I wanted to get out. I wanted to spare myself whatever dignity I had left. I felt her inside. I knew that she was within the pack. Of course, she would be. She would want to gloat about this.
It wasn't until I felt them behind me as they walked out that I turned around, my chest aching when I saw them, when I saw his arm wrapped around her like a prize that he had claimed. His eyes met mine and he smirked.
“Things are going to be different from now on. Our previous Luna was never fit to take her role. She had manipulated it. She had taken advantage of everything that she carried.” He said coldly. I gulped and looked down at my feet as everyone turned their attention to me. I put my hand on my stomach. But I said nothing.
“It is time for our pack to be run by a strong Luna. This should have happened since day one, but due to complications and the few deals, I believe that all of you know that this had to be delayed.” He said, looking down at Claire, who smiled up at him as if she had gained everything that she was fighting for.
“Claire is going to be my Luna, our pack Luna. Just as we had always planned, it is time for our water to run back in its track. Our pack should never have been run by a failure and a weak link, but now I believe that Claire is going to be able to restore things.” He said casually. I didn’t wait to hear what else he was going to say, I didn’t want to.
I looked back one more time before nodding as tears fell from my eyes. One day, very soon, you are going to regret this.
I stepped out of the estate without saying a word. The cold air hitting me like ice.
Not because of the weather, it was warm enough, but because I felt naked.
Stripped. UnseenI had walked in as a wife. A woman of dignity and pride. A Luna to the Alpha.
I walked out as nothing.I didn't look back. If I did, I wouldn’t leave.
If I turned around, I might break.My heels clicked against the stone steps, but the sound felt distant, drowned out by the rush of thoughts and the pulsing ache behind my eyes. The driver opened the car door with a polite nod, but I didn’t speak. I didn’t need anyone’s pity, not tonight.
I settled into the back seat and rested my hand over my stomach.
“Just a little longer,” I whispered to the child who didn’t ask to be caught in this mess. “We’re going to be okay. Your mama is going to keep you safe.”
The bloating in my stomach wasn’t making this easier, but I knew that I needed to fight, I knew that I needed to stand strong. I wasn't alone. And I had my child to protect.
I couldn’t be weak.
As the car pulled away from the estate, I stared out the window at the pack lands I once called home. I had learned every inch of these woods, memorized every sunrise from the balcony Liam once said would be ours forever.
Forever didn’t last long.
I didn’t know where I was going, just that I couldn’t stay. The guest house on the edge of the territory would do for now. It was empty. Forgotten. Kind of like me.
The driver pulled up to the cabin, and I gave him a nod of thanks before stepping out. The porch creaked beneath my weight as I walked up the steps. The door gave a soft groan when I pushed it open.
Dust. Silence. Solitude.
It would do.
I dropped my bag on the couch and made my way to the sink, splashing cold water on my face. The reflection in the mirror above it startled me, eyes red-rimmed, lips pale, hair disheveled. I didn’t look like Luna. I didn’t even look like Alaria.
But somewhere beneath the mess, I was still me.
And I was still his mother.I straightened and pressed my hand to my stomach again.
“You don’t need a pack,” I whispered, swallowing the lump in my throat. “You don’t need a father who doesn’t want you. I will be your everything, little wolf. Mother, father, protector. I’ll teach you how to fight. I’ll teach you how to survive.”
A knock rattled the door.
I froze, instinctively shielding my belly with my arms.
Another knock. Firmer.
I approached carefully and cracked the door open just enough to see who it was.
Alexandra. My only friend. My only ally.
Her eyes scanned my face with immediate concern. “You didn’t tell me it was happening today.”
I opened the door wider. “Because I didn’t know either.”
She stepped in without needing an invitation, shutting the door softly behind her. “So it’s done.”
“It’s done,” I said. The words felt foreign. Like they belonged to someone else’s mouth.
She studied me, then glanced at my stomach. “You’re still not going to tell him?”
My hand returned instinctively to where life pulsed beneath my skin. “No.”
“Even if…”
“No,” I said again, firmer. “Liam made his choice. He didn't even give me the decency of a conversation. He doesn't get to have a child he never asked for.”
Alexandra nodded, but I could see the worry in her eyes. “Then you need to leave. Not just the cabin. You need to disappear before someone notices. If Claire finds out…”
“She won’t.” My voice was sharp. Cold. “And if she does, she’ll have to go through me.”
Alexandra stepped closer, her voice low. “You’ve got maybe a week, two at best, before someone starts asking questions. Especially with rogues circling the border again.”
That made my chest tighten.
I had no pack. No home. No protection.
But I had a reason.
And that was more than enough.
“I’m leaving,” I said, turning toward the small bedroom at the back of the house. “Tonight.”
“Where will you go?”
I paused, hand on the doorknob.
“I don’t know,” I answered honestly. “But I’ll figure it out. I have to. I don’t have another choice. And I refuse to stand as a burden, not with the responsibility that I’m now carrying.”
Alaria:“This is not going to be a good idea, Liam.”“You enjoyed it last night. It's not likely that you won't today.” He said, and I rolled my eyes. “I suggest that you start getting used to sleeping in my room. It's going to get harder for you to persuade me as to let you sleep anywhere else.”“Is that a threat?”“Not at all. I would like to think of it as an agreement between the two of us. Something that I know that you like and I will find myself enjoying a lot.” He said, leaning and connecting his lips with mine. I shook my head as I put my hand on his chest, gently pushing him away. He put his hand on mine, letting it stay right where his heart was beating. “You see this? Do you hear it, Alaria?”I didn't say a word as he looked me in the eye. But the deepness of his voice, the way that he looked at me, everything about it, it just felt far too intimate. And for a moment, I just found myself feeling mesmerized. I was completely lost in his gaze.“This belongs to you. It beats
Liam:By the time we got home, Anastasia was fast asleep in my arms, her small head tucked against my shoulder, her teddy bear dangling from her hand.She’d fought so hard to stay awake, insisting she wasn’t tired, but the moment we got in the car, she’d slumped against me, completely gone. And though I did not speak of it for a while, I just found it amusing that she was denying something like that when it was clearly obvious. Her mother knew her best, but even she allowed her at the moment seeing it that she was enjoying herself.As I stepped through the front door, Alaria followed close behind, shaking her head with that knowing look only a mother could pull off.“I told you she was exhausted,” she whispered, keeping her voice low so as not to wake the little wolf. “We could have just gone back earlier before she got to the state.”I smirked, adjusting Anastasia in my arms. “Worth it. At least now we know she had a good day. You saw her smile, it was worth every second. Plus, isn't
Liam:The park was buzzing with weekend life, children laughing as they chased each other, parents chatting on benches, the faint creak of swings swaying in rhythm with the breeze. Anastasia darted ahead, her tiny hand clutching her teddy bear like it was a shield against the world.There was a prize that she won and it amazed me how happy she was to get it. It was as if it was the one toy that she always wanted, though I knew that she had others.“Look, that's a big tree!” Anastasia cried out as she kept running. “And it has a bench under it.”I had to fight back chuckling, watching as her small legs carried her as fast as she could go.I kept close behind her, my eyes tracking her every movement with a possessiveness I didn’t bother to hide. She was the brightest spark of joy in my life, though she still didn’t know who I truly was to her. I was just thankful to be around her, to get to know her, to at least have a moment to experience by her side.We stopped near a shaded bench, an
Alaria:“So, we are going out?” Anastasia asked excitedly as I helped her with her shoes.“Nasia,” I sighed, smoothing back my daughter’s hair as she sat with that cheeky grin on her face. “What did I tell you about opening doors without knocking? I think that we need to address this point before we discuss the fact about us going out, don't you?”She blinked at me innocently, clearly unfazed. “But Mama, I was excited! I wanted to tell you about the park. I looked everywhere for you. And when I found you, I was very happy. I was very excited.”I narrowed my eyes, trying to keep my expression stern though her little pout nearly broke me. “Excited or not, you knock first. Always. Do you understand? You don't just enter someone's bedroom without knocking on the door.”“Yes, Mama.” She looked down, fiddling with her bear’s ear before glancing back up. “But… why are you in the Alpha’s room? Shouldn’t you be in yours? I looked for you there and the maids told me that you were not, and then
Liam:Her body was warm against mine, soft curves pressed to my chest, the faintest trace of her scent still lingering on my skin from the night before.I had to admit, I was quiet as I just watched her in silence, knowing that waking her up would be one step closer to her getting out of bed.I gently ran my finger over her hip, smiling when she let out a small sigh of contentment in her sleep.I shifted slightly, and she stirred, her lashes fluttering open.“Morning,” I murmured, brushing my lips over her temple.“Mhm,” she whispered, her voice husky, her eyes still heavy with sleep. She stretched, the hem of my shirt riding higher on her thighs, exposing bare skin that made my pulse thunder. “What day are we?”“Saturday.”“It is too early for me to be awake. Why did you wake me up?” She asked, making her chuckle.“You can always go back to sleep.” I said, and she sighed as she looked up, more like playfully glared at me.“You woke me up already. I am not going back to sleep.” She sa
Alaria:I didn’t know how I ended up here.One moment I was telling myself I needed to leave, the next I was standing in Liam’s room, his presence behind me like a weight I couldn’t shake.“I should go to my room, I doubt that this should be a good idea, Liam.” I murmured, refusing to meet his eyes.“No, we already agreed on this, Alaria.”“We agreed to another. Thank you are the one who wanted this.“At least let me get clothes. I can’t stay here like this.” I said, trying to find the way to live. I did not want to be here. At least I didn't want to admit that I wanted to be here.“You don’t need clothes,” he said simply, moving past me toward the dresser. He opened a drawer, pulled out a dark shirt, one of his, soft, oversized, smelling like him, and held it out to me. “You’ll wear this. It's very comfortable and you're not going to be bothered by it.”I blinked. “Liam, I…”“You're not going to argue, Alaria.” His gaze was steady, his voice firm but not cruel. “For tonight, you’re m