Chapter 3

Freya's POV:

"Freya! Are you seriously not at work yet? It’s almost 10:30!" Sam yelled as soon as I picked up the call.

Shit.

"Sam," I whispered, voice hoarse from sleep. "I... I can't come in this morning. I got food poisoning last night after eating something I was allergic to."

There was a long pause on her end. I could hear her breathing, probably trying to piece it all together.

"Food poisoning? From where?"

"When I was with Alpha Theron..." I mumbled, dragging a hand across my face. "It was something we ate. I didn't realize it had shellfish."

Another pause.

"Oh." She said softly. Then her tone turned strict again. "Look, Freya, I get it. But this is your official first day. If you don’t show up, management's going to mark you as unreliable. And if you so much as breathe wrong next time, they'll kick you out.”

"I know, I know, but... I can’t face anyone today, Sam. Just... Please, help me. Can you tell them I’ll come in tonight instead? After I’m done getting checked out?"

She exhaled. "I’ll try my best, okay? But no promises. I’ll text you."

The call ended, and I slumped back onto the pillow, eyes staring at the ceiling.

What the hell did I do last night?

I’d slept with Kaiden’s father. Alpha Theron. The man I was supposed to seduce strategically. Instead, I got drunk, spilled half my life story, and tumbled into his bed like some desperate girl in a soap opera.

I covered my face with both hands and groaned. This was supposed to be a mission to close to the Alpha, make him fall, get paid, and ruin Kaiden in the process.

Not having a one-night stand with him.

Luckily, I was able to slip out before he woke up.

My phone buzzed again, but this time around it was a text message from Samuel:

"I told the manager what happened. Since you were serving a VVIP and got sick, he says you can rest and start tomorrow instead. You're lucky. Don’t screw this up."

I texted back a simple: Ok.

Then I sat there for a long moment, thinking.

I’d worked my entire life. Hustling through restaurants, scrubbing floors, babysitting spoiled brats... always barely getting by.

But this hotel’s paycheck? It would give me a better life. One paycheck here was more than what I made in two weeks juggling three gigs. I could finally stop counting coins before buying groceries or pretending I wasn’t starving just to save a few dollars.

I’d clawed my way through worse. I wasn’t about to let one stupid and intimate mistake with a Casanova Alpha cost me everything I’d worked for.

Besides, I doubt that he would remember me. Guys like him had women crawling all over him, so I was probably just a blur.

Sighing, I shook my head and rushed into the shower to wash off the shame from last night.

The next morning, just as I was about to get ready for work, I received a message from Sam saying that the shift schedule had been updated and I would be handling the Night shift with her and five others for the entire week.

So when I got to the hotel later that night, I barely had time to hang up my jacket before a colleague walked in.

"The manager says he wants to see you in the office. Now.”

I adjusted my uniform quickly and made my way down the corridor.

The manager was behind his desk, with glasses perched low on his nose, when I arrived.

"Miss Vale.” He said, looking up. "Alpha Theron, our VVIP guest, requested you last night and again this morning. Do well to attend to him in his regular suite."

My mouth went dry.

"Did he say why?"

"No. And I don’t want to know.” He replied. “Just don’t piss him off. You don’t want to get on the bad side of someone like him."

I nodded, heart thumping as I turned and made my way toward the suite. My palms were sweating by the time I knocked on the door.

"Come in.” A deep voice called from inside.

I pushed the door open and stepped in to see Alpha Theron seated on a leather couch, with a half-filled glass of wine in his hand. He looked even more annoyingly handsome in daylight.

He looked up, and something shifted in his expression as he stood. "Follow me." He said, and I obeyed silently.

My legs moved on their own as he led me outside to a private terrace with a pool. He sat on one of the chairs and gestured for me to take the seat beside him.

"Where were you?" He asked.

His voice was softer than I remembered. Still commanding, but less... aloof.

"I... I got sick after eating something I wasn't used to last night.” I stuttered.

He leaned forward, concern flashing in his eyes. "Are you alright now?"

I nodded, not trusting myself to speak.

"I was worried.” He said.

Wait. Worried? Was I hallucinating?

I cleared my throat. "I’m fine. Thank you, Alpha."

"Call me Theron."

That made me blink.

"Do you want a better life, Freya?"

I swallowed. "Yes. More than anything."

He got up and disappeared back into the suite. When he returned, he held a brown envelope in his hand, which he handed to me before taking his seat.

I stared at it like it was a bomb.

"What’s this?" I asked, unsealing the flap.

"A contract." He said.

I pulled out the papers inside, and my eyes landed on the bolded line at the top:

“AGREEMENT FOR TEMPORARY LUNA APPOINTMENT.”

My mouth fell open.

"What kind of contract is this?" I whispered.

He looked at me like he already knew I was going to ask that.

"A contract to become my Luna for two years."

Is this real?

A girl like me being offered the role of Luna by the Alpha himself?