Ch. 9 - Dark Stranger

Kiera POV

Exhausted from running all night without food or sleep, I came across a quaint inn in a small town. The weathered, cobblestone exterior radiated charm, and as I entered, the nostalgic scent of aged wood and the faint aroma of a crackling fireplace welcomed me.

After sleeping a few hours, I powered on my phone to discover a multitude of missed calls. Jackson had persistently called, leaving me over fifty messages. He knew I found out about his dirty little secret, and I didn't want to hear his excuses. I never wanted to see his face again.

He would either be furious, demanding my return or pleading for forgiveness. The thought of hearing his voice or seeing his face again filled me with hate. Memories of our shared past, from childhood to being mates, swirled in my mind.

Believing his words made me feel like a naive idiot. Yet, the realization that I would never feel his arms around me again weighed heavily on my chest. I had never loved anyone like Jackson and couldn't envision a life beyond him. It was always Jackson and Kiera; then we became Alpha and Luna.

As I was about to turn off my phone, a call came in from Devon. I took a deep breath, convinced he knew the truth about Jackson. I preferred talking to him, and I desperately needed some answers.

As soon as I answered, his voice hurled through the line, filled with anger that matched my own.

"Where the hell are you?" he demanded.

"You're not my Alpha. Watch your tone!" Athena snapped, teetering on the edge of taking over and becoming a homicidal maniac. She desired the death of everyone who sneered at us, but I refused to let myself become a monster.

"Kiera, it's dangerous out there. You promised you wouldn't leave."

"You expected me to stay? You're as pathetic as he is."

"What are you talking about? What happened?" Devon growled over the phone.

"Like you didn't know. I met my husband's fated mate. She was marked and pregnant by your great Alpha. I guess you expect me to be like the others? Just bow to him and watch as he tosses me to the side? That will never be me, Devon!" My words were stern as I struggled to restrain Athena from forcing me to shift. She yearned to be set free to right every wrong done to us.

"I didn't know. That fucking bastard!" Devon's anger seemed sincere, but I wouldn't be quick to believe another soul again.

"I don't believe you."

"Kiera, I swear, I had no idea he marked her already."

"Already? You knew he never rejected her?" Disgust churned in my stomach.

"I did, but he swore he was going to reject her. He said he needed more time."

"You didn't think I needed to know that?"

"Kiera, there are bigger problems we have right now."

I laughed at him. My life falling into shambles wasn't the priority, not when I was a Luna. I couldn't afford to be selfish, to have pride, or to crave respect from my husband. Love was a luxury I couldn't indulge in; my life always belonged to my people. People who no longer wanted me.

"I don't care about your pack's problems, Devon. I'm done with all of it."

"Don't be foolish, Kiera. He won't let you go. Return home, and once the peace treaty is signed, I'll find a way to help. He's too powerful right now."

"Return home? You're joking? I won't ever go back there."

"Kiera, he will find you."

My hand rested over my mark. This cursed bond acted like a beacon to mates. I had already been in one place too long but couldn't run forever. Devon was right; I needed to return home to finish this.

"Tell your Alpha to expect me tomorrow and that I want a rejection. I won't be a second Luna, and he'll be lucky if I can keep Athena from killing him for what he did."

"He won't reject you. Not now, at least. You make him too powerful for him to let you go. Tomorrow, I set a meeting with the leader of the Dark Wolves pack. Their Alpha is coming to make a deal to end this war. Once that peace treaty is signed, we'll find a way to force Jackson to release you. I promise you, I have your back on this. We just need a few more days so we can free the South."

"He will have no choice but to reject me. I'll be sure of that." I hung up on Devon and turned off my phone.

I felt selfish to put my needs above half the country, but the gut-wrenching despair I felt was unbearable. All I could think about was how he made love to me while also taking her to bed and impregnating her. I needed this bond broken, or the misery of how deviously Jackson played me would eat away at me.

Not ready to face Jackson, I continued moving to avoid him. In the next town, I let my feet guide me to a clothing store. There, I picked a low-cut dress in bright purple that matched my eyes. It was an unusually provocative choice, but imagining Jackson drooling over my body as he begged for forgiveness brought a sly smile to my face. I took satisfaction in the thought of refusing him and then compelling him to reject me.

Leaving the shop, I ventured into a lively bar with a dance club. My eyes widened at the sight of half-naked women dancing on a pole suspended in a cage from the second story. Places like this were unknown to me until now.

"You seem lost?" The bartender looked me up and down.

"Maybe I am." I chuckled, taking a seat. "I need the strongest drink and make it a double."

"Sure." The bartender shook his head at me.

I downed four Moonshine Metamorphoses, enjoying their taste. The alcohol left me a bit tipsy, and oddly, I liked it. The rage towards my husband still lingered, but it wasn't as overpowering.

"You smell divine," a deep, strange voice said directly in my ear. His nose sniffed my hair, and his hands grabbed my waist from behind.

I was about to spin around and knee this asshole in the balls when my body suddenly melted at his touch. He wasn't just a powerful Alpha; his presence exuded safety. His large hands fit perfectly around my waist, creating a delicious heat between my legs.

"I'm not in the mood to be tossed around. Go find someone else to prey on," I said, intending to sound uninterested, but the words came out weak.

"Excuse me?" He genuinely sounded confused, as if he had never been rejected before.

My gaze swung to meet his, prepared to set him straight, but those dark green eyes stole my breath. This man was purely stunning! His deep tan, short black hair, and face, as broad and defined to match his muscular frame, held my attention. Athena purred her longing to taste him evident in my eyes.

"That's better, doll." He flashed me a smug smirk, and my entire being eased in his arms. I might have even been drooling. His grin would normally have me slapping him silly for being so cocky, but I found it incredibly hot. "I have little use for you, but I know exactly how you can help me."

I bit my lip at his insulting words. My mind screamed to punch him, but my body was dying to feel him. Silently, I stood captivated by his good looks.

"Are you suddenly mute?" He asked as I remained frozen, just staring at him. "Actually, I prefer you that way." Initially confused, he soon returned that cocky smirk and pulled me away from the bar. My feet followed him like I was in a trance. I would go wherever he wanted at this moment.

Approaching a purple velvet curtain, I knew exactly where it led. My body lit on fire, imagining how he could dominate, pleasure, and fuck me senseless.

"You're mine, Doll. Whenever I call on you, you're mine. Do you understand?" He whispered in my ear, and damn, Athena began panting at his demand for us. She had never allowed anyone to speak so disrespectfully to us before, but tonight, she was game to be anything this Alpha wanted.

I took a hard gulp, stepping through the purple curtain and facing my reflection in a wall-length mirror. My purple dress clung to my body, highlighting my womanly features and making me feel beautiful.

A god-like man stood behind me, a foot taller, his muscular body in an expensive black suit, and his hands twice the size of mine.

For a brief moment, it felt like this was exactly where I belonged. Nothing made sense anymore. He had been rude and spoken vile words to me.

The man growled, his gaze fixed on my neck. "What the fuck is this?"

My hand quickly covered the black stain on my soul; Jackson's mark suddenly felt like it was burning my skin. Tears welled in my eyes as the realization hit me: I was utterly lost in life.

Stepping out of the man's arm, I turned away from the mirror, unable to look at myself for another second. My eyes met his, and a longing to crumble into him overwhelmed me. I wished he could carry me away from my life. I wasn't too far gone to believe this arrogant Alpha was my white and shining knight, though.

"It's my mark from my husband, but I'm not his fated." I spilled the hard truth that made me feel sick to my stomach.

"You're marked?" He nearly roared out.

"For now, but I'm not his fated."

The handsome man studied me for a moment, a dark and uncaring look in his eyes. His entire demeanor screamed power and wealth. It was evident that I held little importance to him except to satisfy a need in his pants.

He tilted his head in confusion at me. "You really don't know?" He spoke softly, almost like it was only for himself to hear. His hand slowly reached toward my face. First, he gently ran his thumb over my cheek, then with a growl, he roughly grabbed my hair.

"I don't know what?" I said with tears in my eyes.

He just shook his head at me, leaning his face closer to mine. "I would have preferred you untouched, but it's probably better this way. I only want one taste before destroying you."

My eyebrows scrunched in confusion. His harsh words made no sense, yet I still craved his touch.

In a twisted sense, it felt simpler this way. Surrendering to this man meant ensuring Jackson's rejection when I returned home with another's scent. I wouldn't develop any emotions for this stranger set to claim the final fragment of my old life.

"Are you going to fuck me or not?" I blurted out with determination in my eyes. I suddenly felt so dirty that only Jackson knew my body. He didn't deserve to hold that claim any longer, and soon he wouldn't.

This handsome stranger's lips sat a breath away from mine, tempting my body to grab onto his. Those emeralds of his stared at me long and hard, then that damn devious smile crept on his face. "I'm going to do so much more than just fuck this little body."

He suddenly kissed my lips, sending pleasure coursing through my whole body. At first, I felt him lose himself with me. He moaned as I did, savoring how perfectly our bodies fit together.

Then his grip became painful, moans turned into angry grunts, and his body tensed into a rock, closing off any emotions other than desire to me.

He appeared frustrated by how my touch excited him, and I don't think I would ever understand how that was possible. I didn't care either. I only wanted one thing from him, and it was the only thing he wanted from me.

"You're mine all night, Doll." He kissed the corner of my mouth, dancing his lips over my jaw and down my neck. "Then I'm going to throw you away and never think twice about you again." His teeth scraped over my mark, cutting me and forcing blood to escape.

"Fuck!" I cried in pain. His canines burned my mark, making every muscle in my body tense. My hand grabbed his neck, digging my fingernails into his flesh.

"Your husband can feel that pain, too." He chuckled.

His large tongue licked my mark to soothe and heal the cuts he made. "That is what you wanted, isn't it? You want him to feel how you found another more worthy of you." His words made my eyes tear again. It was the truth, and I didn't care what it made me.

I was acting childish and spiteful, no longer feeling like the Luna of one of the strongest packs. I felt useless, used up, like nothing and no one. Jackson's betrayal fueled all these emotions, and I couldn't resist the urge to make him pay.

Throughout my entire life, I had never embraced immaturity, never abandoned my duties, or acted solely for myself. I embodied the perfect wolf, warrior, Luna, and wife. Despite this facade of perfection, I wasn't perfect, and I was utterly exhausted from pretending otherwise.

"Yes!" I answered with a tight jaw. Jackson needed to suffer, just like he made me suffer.

"Then let's make him pay in the most pleasurable ways possible." The dark man said with so much evil in his tone. I was so fucked, and I don't think I wanted it to be any other way.

The idea of cheating on Jackson excited me, and I knew it shouldn't. I was too hurt to care, though.

He slept with that redheaded woman goddess knows how many times, all while I lay in our bed, missing his touch. Tonight, Jackson will physically feel how deep his betrayal hit me.